“We believe this is one of the largest single site, long duration demand response agreements, in terms of percentage of national grid, anywhere in the world.”
The Tiwai smelter is not a 185 MW power station waiting to be turned on in a dry year. A dry year means there is already not much water left in the lakes to generate hydro power. Turning off a potline is not going to make it rain. If not from coal, where is the power going to come from if the low hydro inflows continue? In contrast, the Lake Onslow scheme could provide 1000 MW for 6 months.
The Tiwai smelter is not a 185 MW power station waiting to be turned on in a dry year. A dry year means there is already not much water left in the lakes to generate hydro power. Turning off a potline is not going to make it rain. If not from coal, where is the power going to come from if the low hydro inflows continue? In contrast, the Lake Onslow scheme could provide 1000 MW for 6 months.