3 ms·

France is having massive problems operating their reactors and had to shut them down in summer the last few years. It's also most expensive.

• KptMarchewa 3y ago
  There's no cheaper stable source of electricity then existing nuclear power plant.
  • eqvinox 3y ago
    https://www.statista.com/statistics/493797/estimated-levelized-cost-of-energy-generation-in-the-us-by-technology/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/493797/estimated-leveliz... The only thing more expensive than nuclear — in these stats at least — is small-scale solar installations. Btw, this widespread (but wrong) belief that nuclear is cheap stems from the fact that a lot of countries heavily subsidized their nuclear industry in order to gain know-how and/or materials for atomic weapon production. It's not even cost-covering at current energy prices without those subsidies.
    • KptMarchewa 3y ago
      The _existing_ is the important part.
      • ViewTrick1002 3y ago
        Just need half a century of first construction and then amortizing the loans to get an existing paid off nuclear plant.
        • KptMarchewa 3y ago
          You need 0 years to construct an already existing plant, and would pay those loans either way.
          • ViewTrick1002 3y ago
            Of course, the issue is what you do when the said plant is EOL or you need more capacity. Can't expand capacity using existing plants.
            • KptMarchewa 3y ago
              Extend the life to 80 years. https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/whats-lifespan-nuclear-reactor-much-longer-you-might-think https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/whats-lifespan-nuclear-re... And fund the plants from budget, not commercial debt. > "Governments can borrow much more cheaply that private companies and that lower cost of borrowing can drastically reduce the ultimate cost. Hinkley Point C would have been roughly half the cost if the government had been borrowing the money to build it at 2%, rather than EDF's cost of capital, which was 9%." https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44363366 https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44363366
              • ViewTrick1002 3y ago
                You've now bought 20 years for the countries with an existing fleet. Having governments finance the plants does not reduce the cost, it is a subsidy transferring the risk to the government with the taxpayers being on the hook instead of the banks. The cost stemming from the project risk will not be realized until the construction goes over budget or fails, at which time the difference between the market rate and the government rate is realized by the tax payers. What all this means is that the project's risk and cost is constant. You only transfer who pays for it. The public or the owner. With Hinkley Point C looking to cost even more than €160/MWh over 35 years strike price they got that territory is being entered with bitter negotiations at the highest political level. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/16/edf-hinkley-point-c-delays-cost-overruns https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/16/edf-hinkley-...
                • KptMarchewa 3y ago
                  > You've now bought 20 years for the countries with an existing fleet. 40, most were build for 40. >Having governments finance the plants does not reduce the cost, it is a subsidy transferring the risk to the government with the taxpayers being on the hook instead of the banks. There's no "transferring the risk", energy safety is as much responsibility of the government as everyone else. Taxpayers are on the hook for everything government does, it makes as much sense as buying police cars from a budget. If the power plant fails, everyone loses due to lack of power. The magical idea that some kind of failure of power plant does not affect every citizen, but only shareholders is just not true. >With Hinkley Point C looking to cost even more than €160/MWh over 35 years that territory is being entered with bitter negotiations at the highest political level. Which comes from financing.
      • esarbe 3y ago
        Unfortunately, you cannot build an existing plant. You have to build a new one.
        • eqvinox 3y ago
          Funniest thing I've read this year so far, thanks ;D
        • KptMarchewa 3y ago
          You can do a lot of other stupid things, for example consider it EOL after very short time, like 40 years and close it though.
          • esarbe 3y ago
            Nuclear power is just too expensive. Look at France - the have 80% or so nuclear and all of their power companies run at a loss and have to be subsidized. Meanwhile in Germany wind and solar make a pretty good complement and are cheaper, even with storage included, which is mostly provided by Switzerland and Austria. It's just not worth the hassle.
  • esarbe 3y ago
    Everything is cheaper than nuclear, at this point.
• eqvinox 3y ago
  > had to shut them down in summer the last few years Yep. It's sad-funny — they had to shut down reactors because the cooling water was getting too hot. To be fair this seems to be environmental regulations and not the reactors themselves, but then again the water is from rivers and at some point you really grill the river. https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Heatwave-forces-temporary-change-to-water-discharg https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Heatwave-forces-...