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https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/netherlands-goes-nuclear-in-massive https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/netherlands-goes... Holland is buil

https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/netherlands-goes-nuclear-in-massive https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/netherlands-goes... Holland is building two new reactors, and 'Energy and electricity prices are at record levels due to Europe’s over-reliance on renewables, inadequate supplies of nuclear energy, and shortages of oil and gas due to under-investment in oil and gas exploration and production. Carbon emissions in Germany rose 25% in the first half of 2020 due in large part to a 25% decline in wind, underscoring the unreliable nature of weather-dependent renewables. In response, both France and Britain have promised a major expansion of nuclear energy.' Very turbulent times in EU energy markets.

elric 5y ago
Not sure whether I agree with the "over-reliance on renewables"-bit. Renewables are a relatively small part of EU energy production. The vast majority is fossil fuel (which is mostly imported from the Middle East or Russia). I can't speak for the rest of the EU, but energy policy in Belgium has been an absolute shitshow for decades now. No one wants to invest in anything. There's NIMBYism everywhere. No one wants any kind of energy production in sight, which is an impossibility in a country the size of paper towel. No one wants to reduce demand. And no one wants to rely on imports; which is ironic, given that we import uranium, oil, and gas ... ?
- sam_lowry_ 5y ago
  Second that. As much as I disagree with N-VA, I am tempted to vote for it because it has consistent environment policy and people like Zuhal Demir to enforce it.
phicoh 5y ago
It is extermely unlikely that The Netherlands will build two new reactors. My interpretation is that two political parties keep bringing up nuclear power to basically derail the discussion on how the Dutch government is not doing enough with respect to green energy. Given the costs at Hinkley Point C, Olkiluoto 3, Flamanville 3, it very unlikely that any political party will actually sign off on building one. Furthermore, starting to build a nuclear power plant doesn't help the 2030 goals one bit. And those are already hard to reach.
- sam_lowry_ 5y ago
  Belgium has a nuclear phase out plan and while it is not realistic, it still threatens supplies to Zeeland, Rotterdam and the industrial west. Just look where powerlines go from Doel.
  - phicoh 5y ago
    https://webkaart.hoogspanningsnet.com/index2.php#10/51.3795/3.9661 https://webkaart.hoogspanningsnet.com/index2.php#10/51.3795/... It seems that Zeeland has a connection within The Netherlands as well. I thought that on average The Netherlands is exporting power to Belgium.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  The nuclear reactor that we have has been operating at a massive loss and can not compete in the marketplace, decomissioning costs are the only reason it is still switched on.
plank 5y ago
“Holland is building”. No. In the coalition accord, a study is ordained (https://www.deingenieur.nl/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales-hoe-haalbaar-is-dat https://www.deingenieur.nl/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales... : “de nieuwe coalitie wil laten onderzoeken of het haalbaar is om twee nieuwe kerncentrales te bouwen in Nederland”, for non-dutch speakers: https://www-deingenieur-nl.translate.goog/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales-hoe-haalbaar-is-dat?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=nl https://www-deingenieur-nl.translate.goog/artikel/twee-nieuw...), but many think that the study will conclude it is not feasable.
jacquesm 5y ago
That's a bit premature. We are not 'building two new reactors', there is a coalition agreement that two new reactors will be built but that's a far cry from it actually happening, and it may well never happen because there is a ton of opposition to this which will at a minimum delay construction. The proposed dates for starting operations is after 2030, which means that from a climate accord perspective this is a meaningless gesture.
olivermarks 5y ago
Also of interest https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/business/rolls-royce-nuclear-power-uk.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/business/rolls-royce-nucl... 'Rolls-Royce, the British jet engine maker, said on Tuesday that it was forming a business to build a series of smaller, cheaper nuclear reactors as Britain looks for ways to cut carbon emissions and to reduce the costs of nuclear energy. The kind of reactor proposed by Rolls-Royce would cover about two soccer fields, or about one-tenth the acreage of a conventional nuclear power station, the company said. These plants would generate less power — about one-seventh the output of the giant nuclear installation being built at Hinkley Point in southwest England. But Rolls-Royce said it hoped to reduce construction costs to around 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) each, compared with an estimated £22.5 billion for the Hinkley Point plant. Some of the savings would come from building a large number of plants and making modules in factories that can then be assembled at sites. The company hopes to build 16 of the plants, known as small modular reactors, and said each could power around one million homes.'

elric 5y ago

Not sure whether I agree with the "over-reliance on renewables"-bit. Renewables are a relatively small part of EU energy production. The vast majority is fossil fuel (which is mostly imported from the Middle East or Russia). I can't speak for the rest of the EU, but energy policy in Belgium has been an absolute shitshow for decades now. No one wants to invest in anything. There's NIMBYism everywhere. No one wants any kind of energy production in sight, which is an impossibility in a country the size of paper towel. No one wants to reduce demand. And no one wants to rely on imports; which is ironic, given that we import uranium, oil, and gas ... ?

sam_lowry_ 5y ago
Second that. As much as I disagree with N-VA, I am tempted to vote for it because it has consistent environment policy and people like Zuhal Demir to enforce it.

phicoh 5y ago

It is extermely unlikely that The Netherlands will build two new reactors. My interpretation is that two political parties keep bringing up nuclear power to basically derail the discussion on how the Dutch government is not doing enough with respect to green energy. Given the costs at Hinkley Point C, Olkiluoto 3, Flamanville 3, it very unlikely that any political party will actually sign off on building one. Furthermore, starting to build a nuclear power plant doesn't help the 2030 goals one bit. And those are already hard to reach.

sam_lowry_ 5y ago
Belgium has a nuclear phase out plan and while it is not realistic, it still threatens supplies to Zeeland, Rotterdam and the industrial west. Just look where powerlines go from Doel.
- phicoh 5y ago
  https://webkaart.hoogspanningsnet.com/index2.php#10/51.3795/3.9661 https://webkaart.hoogspanningsnet.com/index2.php#10/51.3795/... It seems that Zeeland has a connection within The Netherlands as well. I thought that on average The Netherlands is exporting power to Belgium.
jacquesm 5y ago
The nuclear reactor that we have has been operating at a massive loss and can not compete in the marketplace, decomissioning costs are the only reason it is still switched on.

plank 5y ago

“Holland is building”. No. In the coalition accord, a study is ordained (https://www.deingenieur.nl/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales-hoe-haalbaar-is-dat https://www.deingenieur.nl/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales... : “de nieuwe coalitie wil laten onderzoeken of het haalbaar is om twee nieuwe kerncentrales te bouwen in Nederland”, for non-dutch speakers: https://www-deingenieur-nl.translate.goog/artikel/twee-nieuwe-kerncentrales-hoe-haalbaar-is-dat?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=nl https://www-deingenieur-nl.translate.goog/artikel/twee-nieuw...), but many think that the study will conclude it is not feasable.

jacquesm 5y ago

That's a bit premature. We are not 'building two new reactors', there is a coalition agreement that two new reactors will be built but that's a far cry from it actually happening, and it may well never happen because there is a ton of opposition to this which will at a minimum delay construction. The proposed dates for starting operations is after 2030, which means that from a climate accord perspective this is a meaningless gesture.

olivermarks 5y ago

Also of interest https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/business/rolls-royce-nuclear-power-uk.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/business/rolls-royce-nucl... 'Rolls-Royce, the British jet engine maker, said on Tuesday that it was forming a business to build a series of smaller, cheaper nuclear reactors as Britain looks for ways to cut carbon emissions and to reduce the costs of nuclear energy. The kind of reactor proposed by Rolls-Royce would cover about two soccer fields, or about one-tenth the acreage of a conventional nuclear power station, the company said. These plants would generate less power — about one-seventh the output of the giant nuclear installation being built at Hinkley Point in southwest England. But Rolls-Royce said it hoped to reduce construction costs to around 2 billion pounds ($2.7 billion) each, compared with an estimated £22.5 billion for the Hinkley Point plant. Some of the savings would come from building a large number of plants and making modules in factories that can then be assembled at sites. The company hopes to build 16 of the plants, known as small modular reactors, and said each could power around one million homes.'