The AC 37 has started, news and rumours

[accnick]

$7.5B is big, wow!

Presumably South Pacific pesos, but real money in any currency.

 

[Stingray~]

The argument that TNZ's corporate structure is fucked is completely accurate, but Farmer looks like a complete asshole raising it after a failed coup attempt. 

Farmer has raised the point before but yes, it may be a bit late now to prevent (my way or the highway) GD from taking the Cup away from NZ this time.

 

[shanghaisailor]

I guess it is....but do they know that Auckland sits on top of a number of dormant volcanoes?  Or that NZ has energy constraints?  Let alone the constraints of getting that energy to Auckland.

Ironically another island that has a growing IT industry also has a bit of a volcanic reputation - Iceland.

However in Iceland there is bountiful energy - geothermal. As such the data and server farms can be run entirely using renewable energy with the added advantage that the generally cooler climate requires less energy in the first place - server farms are hot places 

 

[Horn Rock]

I guess it is....but do they know that Auckland sits on top of a number of dormant volcanoes?  Or that NZ has energy constraints?  Let alone the constraints of getting that energy to Auckland.

It might be some attempt at load balancing with respect to root server locations and what not.........

 

[Stingray~]

However in Iceland there is bountiful energy - geothermal.

Does NZ not have bountiful geothermal possibilities?

 

[Sailbydate]

Farmer has raised the point before but yes, it's a bit late now to prevent (my way or the highway) GD from taking it away from NZ. 

Stinger. I'm starting to lose my patience with your sniping. Not that I expect you to give a fuck.

GD's 'my way or the highway' approach in a winning formula. I invite you to tell him how he could do it better - but if Corporate Governance is your best shot, don't bother. 

Ironically another island that has a growing IT industry also has a bit of a volcanic reputation - Iceland.

However in Iceland there is bountiful energy - geothermal. As such the data and server farms can be run entirely using renewable energy with the added advantage that the generally cooler climate requires less energy in the first place - server farms are hot places 

Prolly should point out that the Andreas Faultline runs right through, Silicon Valley and that California has its fair share of grid blackouts. They'll certainly feel at home in New Zealand, then. ;-)

 

[Stingray~]

Stinger. I'm starting to lose my patients

Dang, sorry to hear that. Covid19?

 

[Sailbydate]

Dang, sorry to hear that. Covid19?

Fucked up there. See correction.

 

[Kate short for Bob]

Does NZ not have bountiful geothermal possibilities?

Not without fucking a few more rivers.

 

[Sailbydate]

Does NZ not have bountiful geothermal possibilities?

No. We have some smaller geothermal plants. About 58% of our power is generated by hydropower stations.

But we also burn a lot of shit grade coal from Indonesia. Go figure.

 

[porthos]

Not without fucking a few more rivers.

Honest question: how does geothermal power mess with rivers? I understand how hydroelectric power would, but I thought geothermal relied on underground reservoirs.

 

[Stingray~]

Stinger. I'm starting to lose my patience with your sniping. Not that I expect you to give a fuck.

You are right again. The truly scary thing is: What happens when your patience eventually runs out??  Please check in occasionally, from whatever mental journey you take?

 

[Kate short for Bob]

Honest question: how does geothermal power mess with rivers? I understand how hydroelectric power would, but I thought geothermal relied on underground reservoirs.

Geothermal power can utilise a couple of different methods but all primarily drive steam turbines.  So one method is dry steam which is trapped underground to drive the turbines which leaves hot water to dispose of.  Or use super heated water to heat another liquid to turn into steam.  Actually all the current methods have hot water to dispose of.  Generally the cheapest option for that hot water is to pump it into an existing river.  That raises the temperature of that river. 

Also the water carries dissolved salts and even heavy metals.  So they are either extracted or pumped into the river as well.  High mercury levels have been found in fish downstream of the geothermal power station on the Waikato River.

Believe it or not geothermal power plants are NOT CO2 neutral.  CO2 and greenhouse gases such as methane are contained within the super heated water and the process of cooling during generation releases these gases.

 

[Priscilla]

Geothermal power can utilise a couple of different methods but all primarily drive steam turbines.  So one method is dry steam which is trapped underground to drive the turbines which leaves hot water to dispose of.  Or use super heated water to heat another liquid to turn into steam.  Actually all the current methods have hot water to dispose of.  Generally the cheapest option for that hot water is to pump it into an existing river.  That raises the temperature of that river.  Also the water carries dissolved salts and even heavy metals.  So they are either extracted or pumped into the river as well.

Geothermal fluids contain elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, lithium and boron because of the underground contact between hot fluids and rocks. If waste is released into rivers or lakes instead of being injected into the geothermal field, these pollutants can damage aquatic life and make the water unsafe for drinking or irrigation.

A serious environmental effect of the geothermal industry is arsenic pollution. Levels of arsenic in the Waikato River almost always exceed the World Health Organisation standard for drinking water of 0.01 parts per million. Most of the arsenic comes from geothermal waste water discharged from the Wairākei power station. 

 

[porthos]

Geothermal power can utilise a couple of different methods but all primarily drive steam turbines.  So one method is dry steam which is trapped underground to drive the turbines which leaves hot water to dispose of.  Or use super heated water to heat another liquid to turn into steam.  Actually all the current methods have hot water to dispose of.  Generally the cheapest option for that hot water is to pump it into an existing river.  That raises the temperature of that river. 

Also the water carries dissolved salts and even heavy metals.  So they are either extracted or pumped into the river as well.  High mercury levels have been found in fish downstream of the geothermal power station on the Waikato River.

Believe it or not geothermal power plants are NOT CO2 neutral.  CO2 and greenhouse gases such as methane are contained within the super heated water and the process of cooling during generation releases these gases.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Sailbydate]

Geothermal fluids contain elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, lithium and boron because of the underground contact between hot fluids and rocks. If waste is released into rivers or lakes instead of being injected into the geothermal field, these pollutants can damage aquatic life and make the water unsafe for drinking or irrigation.

A serious environmental effect of the geothermal industry is arsenic pollution. Levels of arsenic in the Waikato River almost always exceed the World Health Organisation standard for drinking water of 0.01 parts per million. Most of the arsenic comes from geothermal waste water discharged from the Wairākei power station. 

The Ngawha Power Station in Northland uses a closed circuit system to return all fluids to the geothermal field. The thermal steam and water is used in a heat exchanger to heat Pentane, which then drives a turbine. That way, the contaminates are not released into the environment and the field's fluids are maintained and not drained. I think the system was designed in Israel, IIRC. Nice solution.

 

[Sailbydate]

You are right again. The truly scary thing is: What happens when your patience eventually runs out??  Please check in occasionally, from whatever mental journey you take?

Good to know. 

 

[dg_sailingfan]

I see, Stingray still desperate for Auckland, wants to overthrow RNZYS/ETNZ!

 

[chesirecat]

I guess it is....but do they know that Auckland sits on top of a number of dormant volcanoes?  Or that NZ has energy constraints?  Let alone the constraints of getting that energy to Auckland.

You're not kidding about getting that energy to Auckland. Some serious issues there.

 

[Stingray~]

Amazon, yes from my home town Seattle, has truly massive data centers across the Cascade mountain range from here, all hydro-powered from dams on the Columbia River. That power source is not ideal either (let's go, Fusion power!) but it's as close to idyllic as is possible for now.

Both Bezos and Gates are funding a variety of techs that could actually make fusion reactors a reality within a few years and the implications would be... well pretty f'ing stunning.

One example

Nuclear energy: Fusion plant backed by Jeff Bezos to be built in UK - BBC News