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Olkiluoto 3 in Finland, Flamanville 3 in France and Hinkley Point C in the UK are all using the same reactor design: European Pressurised Reactor (EBR). This wa

Olkiluoto 3 in Finland, Flamanville 3 in France and Hinkley Point C in the UK are all using the same reactor design: European Pressurised Reactor (EBR). This was jointly developed by France (Framatome and EDF) and Germany (Siemens). All three projects are over-budget and have been dogged by delays. I'm not against nuclear, but the cost of new (large) nuclear plants always spiral out of control. For example, Hinkley Point C in the UK is due for completion in 2026. Estimated total cost: £23 billion - making it one of the most expensive nuclear power plants in the world. This BBC report on Hinkley Point C has some interesting facts: Hinkley nuclear power station on track for 2026 opening: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-58724732 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-58724732 From the article: > When Hinkley was approved in 2016, EDF estimated the cost at £18bn. Today, the company puts the bill at nearer £23bn. The deal to build Hinkley Point C includes a fixed-price or ceiling cost for electricity known as the Strike Price: > ...in 2016, the British government fixed that price at £92.50 per megawatt hour (MWh). The price rises with inflation and has now reached £106/MWh. > Back then, the equivalent price for electricity from offshore windfarms was well over £120/MWh. But wind costs have fallen fast. Today new wind projects are fixed at about £50/MWh, well under half the price of Hinkley power. > So, the big question for Hinkley watchers is this. By 2026, will the electricity it produces look very expensive?

VBprogrammer 5y ago
When the wind isn't blowing it will probably look rather cheap, especially if gas shortages remain prevalent. Regardless, I'm all for maintaining at least our current level of nuclear contribution to the grid until the renewable storage story is complete at GW scale. It's much harder to commission new nuclear plants if we allow all of ours to fall into disuse.
- hanoz 5y ago
  > When the wind isn't blowing it will probably look rather cheap... But of course with a guaranteed and indexed linked strike price, it will be running at full pelt for its entire lifespan, regardless of how much cheaper solar and wind is available at any given time.
  - VBprogrammer 5y ago
    There are more complex reasons around managing the electrical grid which make this not such a bad thing. Reactive power and grid inertia control for example. Solar and some types of wind turbine (my understanding is that Doubly fed induction generators can) don't contribute to these factors at all.
blitzar 5y ago
To put the cost overrun into perspective - someone driving truck in 2016 was making £30k and in 2021 its £70k. S&P Global Platts assessed UK day-ahead baseload prices at GBP540.15/MWh ($747.56/MWh) for delivery Sept. 14, up from GBP171.15/MWh Sept. 10. Sept. 9 as several plants priced themselves at GBP4,000/MWh amid low wind, outages and reduced interconnector availability*. The UK energy situation is basically a total mess - they need more of everything (or to just stop shutting down everything). About the only thing being done is building more interconnects to import electricity from other countries.
tim333 5y ago
For what it's worth I'm being billed £218/MWh plus a 28p/day standing charge in the UK and that's the standard rate capped by the government which will go up. You hear about power being generated for £50 or £30/MWh but don't see much of that as a consumer in the UK.

VBprogrammer 5y ago

When the wind isn't blowing it will probably look rather cheap, especially if gas shortages remain prevalent. Regardless, I'm all for maintaining at least our current level of nuclear contribution to the grid until the renewable storage story is complete at GW scale. It's much harder to commission new nuclear plants if we allow all of ours to fall into disuse.

hanoz 5y ago
> When the wind isn't blowing it will probably look rather cheap... But of course with a guaranteed and indexed linked strike price, it will be running at full pelt for its entire lifespan, regardless of how much cheaper solar and wind is available at any given time.
- VBprogrammer 5y ago
  There are more complex reasons around managing the electrical grid which make this not such a bad thing. Reactive power and grid inertia control for example. Solar and some types of wind turbine (my understanding is that Doubly fed induction generators can) don't contribute to these factors at all.

blitzar 5y ago

To put the cost overrun into perspective - someone driving truck in 2016 was making £30k and in 2021 its £70k. S&P Global Platts assessed UK day-ahead baseload prices at GBP540.15/MWh ($747.56/MWh) for delivery Sept. 14, up from GBP171.15/MWh Sept. 10. Sept. 9 as several plants priced themselves at GBP4,000/MWh amid low wind, outages and reduced interconnector availability*. The UK energy situation is basically a total mess - they need more of everything (or to just stop shutting down everything). About the only thing being done is building more interconnects to import electricity from other countries.

tim333 5y ago

For what it's worth I'm being billed £218/MWh plus a 28p/day standing charge in the UK and that's the standard rate capped by the government which will go up. You hear about power being generated for £50 or £30/MWh but don't see much of that as a consumer in the UK.