urban biomass
hydrogen
Generation IV
nuclear plant
commercial
hydrogen
solar roofs
electricity
hydrogen
electricity
electricity
energy storage
hydrogen
electricity
residential
heavy industry
nuclear and solar. Particularly interesting is Canada,
where several gas-pipeline construction projects are
already under consideration, principally the Mackenzie
Valley Pipeline, which would run from the Arctic fields
near Inuvik 1220 km south to Alberta and the US transporting 18 GW (thermal) of natural gas, planned to
start construction in 2010, the energy equivalent to
China’s Three Gorges hydroelectric generation. When
this gas crosses the US–Canada border, some 23% will
be combusted to generate electricity. When the Delta
gas fields are depleted, why not plan to construct a
Generation IV nuclear plant on the site to generate
hydricity that would be sent southward over a SuperCable to be laid in the same right of way already developed for the natural-gas pipeline?
A quixotic dream?
Are SuperCities, SuperSuburbs and SuperGrids, although in principle feasible with today’s emerging technologies, merely quixotic dreams? As mentioned
earlier, the various technologies required are already
available. The eco-impact of transmission corridors
would be about the same as a current oil or gas pipelines. Regarding cost, it is estimated that the 1220 km
Mackenzie Valley Pipeline, including supporting
pumping stations, will cost about $18 000m, to which
would be added SuperCable materials and packaging,
which I estimate to be approximately $6000m over an
equivalent distance. The footprint required for hydricity generation by nuclear power is far less than for
fossil fuels and especially renewables, but it is more
expensive than the former. Estimates of the costs of
future Generation IV plants run from $1400 per k W to
$4000 per k W (for comparison, coal plants capitalize
at $800 and natural gas at $450).
Having said this, it is important to point out that the
energy economy, unlike most of the private sector, is
driven by a multitude of factors in addition to technology. The next round of iGadgets will succeed in the
marketplace only if they are smaller, run faster and
cooler, cost less and create an addicted user community. Technology is, at best, only 50% of the energy
equation, the remaining terms being driven by social
and political policies together with public perception,
which is often not guided by sound science (witness,
for example, the irrational fear of electromagnetic
fields emanating from overhead transmission lines).
A thorough energy makeover must also find ways to
address these other, non-technical factors. That will
arguably be a far more difficult challenge. ■
