4 ms·
3 cubic meters per second is really nothing when operating at full 4GWh power. A single percent of the discharge of the Mississippi could supply 50 such plants,
by yholio 5y ago
3 cubic meters per second is really nothing when operating at full 4GWh power. A single percent of the discharge of the Mississippi could supply 50 such plants, a third of all power consumption of the USA.
When the reactor is SCRAM-ed in an emergency, the power output drops instantly to 6% of the operating value, 0.5% in 24h, and 0.1% in 10 days.
Assuming worse come to worst, you need to SCRAM all 3 reactors simultaneously, and the pond is completely dry after the first week or so, you can still cool the cores using trucks, it's just 3l per second boil-off, about 10 semi tankers per day.
There are many problems with nuclear power, but this issue of water is completely blown out of proportion.