Harnessing the Agulhas Sea Current – vital practical potential benefits exposed, yet thus far ignored….

HERE’S A “WORKING PLAN” HOW THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT CAN:

Create “SUSTAINABLE JOBS”

Eliminate “POVERTY”

Reverse “WATER SHORTAGES”

This PLAN is “Rapid-Results” and is Based on Science, and Practical Engineering.

OVERVIEW:

The Central Thrust of this PLAN is to Harness the “Green-Energy” force of the “Agulhas Current” which flows day and night, all year round – down the East Coast of South Africa.

The Site for this “Capturing and Harvesting” of this mighty energy, will exist in two places:

On-Shore: On the Beachfront Area – midway between East London and Durban – and –

Off-Shore: Directly Opposite – and within our twelve-mile, “State-Owned Territory” Limit.

THE POWER SOURCE:

This marvellous, “GREEN-ENERGY” POWER-SOURCE … Available 24 / 7 … 365 Days a Year! – called the “Agulhas Current” – runs roughly Southwest, on the edge of the East Coast of South Africa – at a speed, in certain places, of around 5 Knots … that’s the equivalent of a determined, full-on, “Jogging-Pace”. The raw force of this current is sufficient that “savvy” Ships-Captains deliberately steer clear of it, while travelling Northwards off our East Coast – avoiding the current’s head-on, “speed-impeding” effect … and on their South run, they deliberately steer into its awesome torrent – to augment their ship’s speed, by adding the speed of the current to it!

 THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THIS PROJECT:

The main and abiding purpose of harnessing the Agulhas Current, is to generate electricity in quantities great enough to convert – through desalination – enormous and continuous amounts of sea water into fresh water, which we will use to Augment our Finite, Fast-Diminishing, “natural” supply of fresh water, by “topping-up” our country’s dams and reservoirs.

Integrated within this purpose, is the “Creation of Sustainable Jobs” – and the “Eradication of Poverty”, which providing these jobs, will enable. The implementation of this vast Plan, will be “highly labour-intensive” – providing employment for Literally Millions of our people!

Of Importance at the Outset! … I wish to emphasise, that my urging that we generate electricity, using the “Agulhas Current” as the prime-mover, IS NOT intended to “compete” with Eskom … NOR, to “compete” with other, proven and operating, “green energy” systems, such as Wind / Solar / etc … NOR even, at this stage, to add the resultant generated-power, to the National Grid. - Quite the opposite!

THE METHODOLOGY:

Our entire purpose must be to use this natural, green-energy source, as a “stand-alone” Electricity-Generation System, to power exclusively, the operation of any number of “on-shore” Desalination Plants – as many as we need build – the essential purpose of which – let’s remind ourselves once more – is to augment our country’s finite, and precariously diminishing, fresh-water resources – predicted to be “in short supply”, within 12 years time!

Additionally – that same electricity supply will be employed to drive Pumping-Stations across our land – which will push this newly-desalinated, fresh water, through pipelines leading to our countrywide, dams and reservoirs, to “top them up” …

And as much as the amount of Free “take-off” available to us from the Agulhas Current, is absolutely endless … so too, is our decision without limits – as to the number of “Vessels” we employ in the harnessing of this power, as that will simply be “as many as are needed”.

“So?” – you ask – “How’s it all going to work?” Let me invoke Albert Einstein’s appropriate saying, here … “Imagination Is Everything!” … and I ask you please, to fully utilise Your imaginative capacity – as you participate in my “Scenarios” I will build here – which most certainly will require more “fine tuning” by a team of “Engineering Project-Managers”, toward their “final go-ahead”, for implementation. The “revision” of plans laid, is a natural and evolutionary process in any discipline. So do feel free, please – Afterwards! – to associate your own, “better-working” ideas, with mine.

Meanwhile … here’s MY “Vision”:

Remember, please, that at Every Step along the way, everything we will build – will man – and maintain … will largely be done by “The Presently Unemployed” folk in our country!

While we solve our Water Shortages, we are simultaneously going to create Millions of Sustainable, Meaningful JOBS! – and Put an End to POVERTY!

Also to bear in mind – given the enormity of the Project, in size and scope – and that the “Off-Shore Sites” for our ‘Vessels’ will be within our territorial limits of 12 miles, making it “State-Owned Property” – is the fact that this will of necessity be a “Government Enterprise”. But no doubt, it will prove an attractive “partnership” with Government – for the Private Sector, and / or Overseas Investors.

THE “CURRENT-HARNESSING” MECHANISM:

We are not the only folk to turn to ocean currents and tides. This is fortunate, as there has been much research done by others, into the best mechanisms to employ for the purpose. For instance – the United States Naval Academy has perfected a propeller to capture the useful force of relatively slow-moving water like the Agulhas Current – the design being based on the tail-features of the Humpback whale. And given Our Own Navy’s positive reciprocity with their American counterparts, we should have no difficulty in asking them to share their research and designs with us, so that we can create the very best “current-capturing” propellers to use in our own Project.

The pressure of the sea-current on the blades turns the propeller – which is then “harnessed” to other mechanisms, to produce useful work. And in “My Own Vision”, this translates into the individual propeller, either directly driving an electricity-generator, and sending the resultant power onshore by way of suitable power cables, to the Desalination Plants … or … directly driving powerful pumps – sending seawater through a pipeline, immediately from the “vessel”, onto the land.

In the First Instance here, the “cabled“ electricity will drive land-based pumps which extract water from the ocean, and pass it on to reservoirs where it can “settle”, and from which the Desalination Plants will draw their constant supply for processing into fresh water.

In the Second Instance above, the seawater coming ashore in the pipeline, will also enter the reservoirs … but on its way there, it will first be directed through the intakes of Hydro-Electric Generators, the power from which, will be used to operate the desalination plants. Another purpose to which the reservoirs can be put, during their operation, is that they can possibly be co-opted into use as “Seawater Fish-Farms” – useful to feed the workers! Further inland, this same enterprise, can be employed to create “Fresh-Water Fish Farms”

THE KIND OF “VESSELS” WE NEED TO WORK WITH, IN THE AGULHAS CURRENT:

In my opinion, our ideal “Vessel”, is an “Oil-Rig” – Especially Adapted to our Project’s use.

An Oil-Rig is designed and built to be stable, and withstand the most violent seas – it can be anchored so well, it will not be dislodged from its position – it can be moved, when and if required – it has all the “crew-comfort” facilities one can wish for – it has, already built in, all the mechanisms to keep it “self-contained” – it has a helicopter landing pad, for ferrying in supplies – and most importantly – it has lifting gear already fitted … but in our instances, we will be raising and lowering our Propellers … instead of “oil-drilling” mechanisms!

Why, we would need to easily move our Propellers up and down, is a matter of “preventive maintenance” – e.g. – if we have a “pod” of, say, 6 Propellers on a rig … 5 should always be operating “down below” – and one, pro-rata, hoisted up for routine inspection and service.

Remember this, as you employ your creative, innovative imagination … while envisioning these scenarios I’m painting here … we can have just as many of these “rigs” of ours, as needed, working continuously in the current – either singly, or in concert – depending on what predetermined duties and results are expected of each of these units.

Singapore is a part of the world which has “Renowned" Builders of oil rigs – ready and willing to “take orders” – and for them to custom-build the kind of “rigs” we need, will be a pushover – since they are already in this specialised business!

PARTIAL LIST OF ON-SHORE EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES WE WILL NEED …

Includes the Desalination Plants themselves … enormous engineering workshops of every possible description: pumps, pipelines, “underwater-engineering”, storage facilities for engineering supplies, workers’ accommodation, administration buildings, etc/ etc.

WHERE ARE THESE KINDS OF EQUIPMENT & ANCILLARY SERVICES AVAILABLE?

A useful resource you can explore for this, is an internet site called “TradePub.com” who have available, literally hundreds of specialist publications – “MarineLog” and their weekly Newsletter, being one I have subscribed to – which has been very useful in the research of this document.

But naturally, we should “try local”, before we go abroad for our needs – assuming always of course, that “local” has kept up with the latest advances in their respective fields!

ADDITIONAL “JOB-CREATING” FACILITIES WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED:

Seeing that the “newly-fresh” water, needs to be moved around the country, we will need pipelines to be laid, pumping-stations to be erected, roads to be built, tunnels to be dug, additional reservoirs to be built, earthworks to be performed – the list goes on and on …

And so massive and involved will be the Project, that over a relatively short time, the support-base for the Onshore Site cannot help but become a Whole New Town – (“Azania”?) – The design of which can be of totally African Origin – and can be planned for – and work commenced on it – utilising our presently unemployed, from first “get-go” of this Project.

It should be blatantly evident that “JOB CREATION” … Skilled and Unskilled … is in “full-swing” here! – for the Long-Term Benefit of south Africa and its Peoples!

LET’S LOOK NOW AT THE “DESALINATION” PLANTS:

Not to bore you with the details – take it “as read” that I have “looked around” pretty well – and finally I have come across a company which seems way out in front of all the others, in that they have developed methodologies which are much more efficient and effective.

Look them up on the internet: “Plus Technologies IP Holding GmbH” – and see what I mean. Along with that, they are a German company – so, we can have high expectations!

An important instance of their advanced thinking is this that they have methods for processing the “residual sea-salt” from the desalination process, into some of its natural, Constituent Chemicals – which have the following useful and saleable features – making what would otherwise be a “bothersome waste-product”, into a thriving profit-centre:

Purified Brine – for industrial applications

Purified Table Salt – for human consumption and food manufacturing processes

Magnesium Hydroxide Powder – used in waste-water treatment and flame retardants

Calcined Gypsum Powder – used in large quantities in the Construction Industries

So its Evident … Such a desalination-plant will more than cover its “board and lodging”!

SO … WHERE IS THE COASTAL SITE FOR THE DESALINATION PLANTS TO BE?

The ideal site must obviously be opposite that particular length of the Agulhas Current, where – as near as possible – this “desirable permutation” exists …

 A) the Agulhas Current is closest to the shore,

B) it is as near the surface as possible,

C) and is running at its strongest, fastest, speed.

That will be where – in the ocean – our current-harnessing “rigs” will be working. And opposite that – on the coast – will be situated the Desalination Plants.

I have an impression, from satellite images I've accessed during Internet searches I've made, that this area might be somewhere between 30 to 35 degrees latitude -- between East London and Durban ... but hey! -- That’s just an assumption on my part!

What is needed, to help take the "guesswork" out of it – is much more qualified opinions. Perhaps the South African Navy’s “Hydrographic Survey” Department, and the “CSIR”, who have made a survey of the Agulhas Current.

WATER SHORTAGES:

Our “natural” potable water-supply, is being Outstripped by Demand. So all we’re really doing with “conservation and management”, is – “Putting Off The Evil Hour!” … until our natural water-supply can no longer cope – and we run short … We have to Urgently AUGMENT our Fresh-Water Supply, through the

Desalination of Sea Water! – And distribute it, Countrywide! BUT HAPPILY! … Because that whole process – from implementation – to distribution – to ongoing maintenance – will be hugely LABOUR-INTENSIVE; therein exists the ADDITIONAL Solution!! – That of providing Sustainable EMPLOYMENT – for Literally Millions!

Anyone imposing a “good reason” for the Solution herein, NOT to be applied – should either have a “better plan” … or take the full blame for their choice of the “Looming Consequences” they’re allowing to be visited upon us! TIME is not on our side! Let’s not be “part of the problem” through our INACTION!

Let’s safeguard our future! … Let us together, “take the pain away” from the country of South Africa. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prepared by Concerned South African Patriot – Len Stevens – January, 2012. 3 Oxenham Court, Sangrove, Rondebosch 7700 – Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa – 021-689-5430 – 082-738-1246 lenstevens@telkomsa.net

This draft is edited and abridged - Stafford

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THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS PLAN: (First Draft was prepared in December, 2009).

My name is Len Stevens. I am a South African Patriot. My first career was that of a Marine Engineer Officer in the Merchant Navy – so I am personally familiar with the Agulhas Current – and the practical “Mechanics” of the Project are within my expertise to discuss.

Intermittently over the last 5 years, I have studied the feasibility of harnessing the Agulhas Current, for the good of my Country – and developed this “Operational Plan” which – while being altogether practical and achievable – can be put into immediate effect, simply “By Government Edict” – the site of it, as already mentioned, being on “State-Owned” property. The immediate “implementation” of this PLAN Is Vitally Important! – to relieve the festering discontent of the myriad unemployed of our Country, by providing Millions of Meaningful, Sustainable Jobs – and in the process? – constructing a completely-new Town. Important! I do not have nor seek any Personal Role  in the Implementation of this Project.