5 ms·

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33499619/france-nuclear-reactor-epr-expensive-mess/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33499619/f

by dv_dt 6y ago

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33499619/france-nuclear-reactor-epr-expensive-mess/ https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a33499619/fr... France is going to retire end of life nuclear reactors and replace them with renewables, while their new generation reactors have had all the same cost and schedule overruns as elsewhere. Including BTW, China, which did all the construction expertise management for nuclear that the experts recommend - e.g. using the same crews the build multiple reactors, moving them from project to project. China too stopped building new reactors in favor of more renewables.

wahern 6y ago
> while their new generation reactors have had all the same cost and schedule overruns as elsewhere Reactor, singular. They've only tried to build one new reactor this century, Flamanville #3. Civaux reactors were finished in 1997. As in the U.S., it's clear the cost issue is primarily related to public sentiment, not fundamentals. France's existing nuclear energy infrastructure was built at a time when France was very pro-nuclear, and nuclear was a matter of national pride, thus the gall to sink the Rainbow Warrior. Times have changed, for better (less investment in nuclear weapons, appetite for murdering civilians) and worse (less support for nuclear energy). > China too stopped building new reactors in favor of more renewables. "China will build six to eight nuclear reactors a year between 2020 and 2025 and raise total capacity to 70 gigawatts (GW), up 43.5% compared to the end of May, the official China Daily said on Thursday, citing the country’s nuclear association." https://in.reuters.com/article/china-nuclearpower/china-to-build-6-8-nuclear-reactors-a-year-from-2020-2025-report-idINKBN24A0DL https://in.reuters.com/article/china-nuclearpower/china-to-b... Since 2011, over 30 reactors have come online, 3 of which began construction after Fukushima: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_reactors#China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_reactors#China
- dv_dt 6y ago
  It's been a while, so things might have changed, but this article had indicated that while having plants still on the schedule, China had drastically cut their actual nuclear project starts, electing to finish out started plants, with the exception of the one of their internal design. https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/12/138271/chinas-losing-its-taste-for-nuclear-power-thats-bad-news/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/12/138271/chinas-lo... We will see if those announcements actually go forward.
  - wahern 6y ago
    It's fair to say that China's enthusiasm for nuclear has diminished, but it seems energy demand in China is too great to completely sideline nuclear the way Western countries have. FWIW, here'a a May 2020 video purporting to show a construction milestone, placement of the second steel containment ring, for the first Zhangzhou reactor: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaNationalNuclear/videos/254793102470042/ https://www.facebook.com/ChinaNationalNuclear/videos/2547931...

by dv_dt 6y ago

wahern 6y ago

> while their new generation reactors have had all the same cost and schedule overruns as elsewhere Reactor, singular. They've only tried to build one new reactor this century, Flamanville #3. Civaux reactors were finished in 1997. As in the U.S., it's clear the cost issue is primarily related to public sentiment, not fundamentals. France's existing nuclear energy infrastructure was built at a time when France was very pro-nuclear, and nuclear was a matter of national pride, thus the gall to sink the Rainbow Warrior. Times have changed, for better (less investment in nuclear weapons, appetite for murdering civilians) and worse (less support for nuclear energy). > China too stopped building new reactors in favor of more renewables. "China will build six to eight nuclear reactors a year between 2020 and 2025 and raise total capacity to 70 gigawatts (GW), up 43.5% compared to the end of May, the official China Daily said on Thursday, citing the country’s nuclear association." https://in.reuters.com/article/china-nuclearpower/china-to-build-6-8-nuclear-reactors-a-year-from-2020-2025-report-idINKBN24A0DL https://in.reuters.com/article/china-nuclearpower/china-to-b... Since 2011, over 30 reactors have come online, 3 of which began construction after Fukushima: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_reactors#China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_reactors#China

dv_dt 6y ago
It's been a while, so things might have changed, but this article had indicated that while having plants still on the schedule, China had drastically cut their actual nuclear project starts, electing to finish out started plants, with the exception of the one of their internal design. https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/12/138271/chinas-losing-its-taste-for-nuclear-power-thats-bad-news/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/12/138271/chinas-lo... We will see if those announcements actually go forward.
- wahern 6y ago
  It's fair to say that China's enthusiasm for nuclear has diminished, but it seems energy demand in China is too great to completely sideline nuclear the way Western countries have. FWIW, here'a a May 2020 video purporting to show a construction milestone, placement of the second steel containment ring, for the first Zhangzhou reactor: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaNationalNuclear/videos/254793102470042/ https://www.facebook.com/ChinaNationalNuclear/videos/2547931...