3 ms·
The other elephants in the room are (1) the material requirements (required metals, plastics, glass, electronics and reinforced concrete) per GWh, and (2) the r
by xroche 5y ago
The other elephants in the room are (1) the material requirements (required metals, plastics, glass, electronics and reinforced concrete) per GWh, and (2) the required space per GWh (less space for buildings, fields or nature).
And solar/wind are also "cheap" because they are mostly produced in mainland China, with coal and cheap labor (including "very cheap labor": https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/business/economy/china-solar-companies-forced-labor-xinjiang.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/08/business/economy/china-so...). Not a very sustainable solution...
- hinkley 5y agoAt this point it seems like, for nuclear to play a big role in the future power mix, someone needs to fund a program to develop carbon neutral concrete that still meets or exceeds the construction parameters for part - or preferably all - of the concrete used in building these plants. Since they use so much of it, that would build up capacity for other uses, and the subsidy doesn't even have to necessarily go straight to nuclear power, which might improve the optics. Here's a discount for specialty concrete that only nuclear plants and hydroelectric dams would be interested in...