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South Carolina to Reboot Giant Nuclear Project to Meet AI Demand

10 points by chickenbig 2y ago

johnneville 2y ago
https://archive.ph/y7S0C https://archive.ph/y7S0C
chickenbig 2y ago
https://web.archive.org/web/20241204140927/https://www.admin.sc.gov/sites/admin/files/Documents/FMRE/NAC/VCSTrip.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20241204140927/https://www.admin... for a site inspection presentation.
blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
This is the same power station that was involved in “Nukegate”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukegate_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukegate_scandal The cost for their two AP1000 reactors went from $9.8B to $25B before the expansion at the power plant was eventually halted. Westinghouse, who designed the reactors, almost shut down as a result of cost overruns here and in another power station, where costs for a similar setup of two AP1000 reactors went from $14B to $34B (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogtle_Electric_Generating_Plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogtle_Electric_Generating_Pla...). Unfortunately the desperate nuclear energy industry in the West hasn’t done well and is more or less dead, although potentially soon to be revived due to the AI boom. Westinghouse at one point sold their reactors to China, including all the designs/IP, which was a huge strategic mistake for them and for the US. China then simply cut ties and built their own designs based off the AP1000, what they now call the CAP1000 and CAP1400: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAP1400 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAP1400
- johncearls 2y ago
  But that was a great quarter. You should have seen the bonuses.
  - blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
    You’re probably correct about the incentives. I wonder if some of those same people regret those choices now…
    - chickenbig 2y ago
      Apparently Westinghouse still collect licensing fees for CAP1000 builds https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-w-nelson-484b0713_this-incredible-image-shows-rapid-progress-activity-7280412364779278336-Zoe- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-w-nelson-484b0713_this-i...

10 points by chickenbig 2y ago

https://archive.ph/y7S0C https://archive.ph/y7S0C

https://web.archive.org/web/20241204140927/https://www.admin.sc.gov/sites/admin/files/Documents/FMRE/NAC/VCSTrip.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20241204140927/https://www.admin... for a site inspection presentation.

blackeyeblitzar 2y ago

This is the same power station that was involved in “Nukegate”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukegate_scandal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nukegate_scandal The cost for their two AP1000 reactors went from $9.8B to $25B before the expansion at the power plant was eventually halted. Westinghouse, who designed the reactors, almost shut down as a result of cost overruns here and in another power station, where costs for a similar setup of two AP1000 reactors went from $14B to $34B (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogtle_Electric_Generating_Plant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogtle_Electric_Generating_Pla...). Unfortunately the desperate nuclear energy industry in the West hasn’t done well and is more or less dead, although potentially soon to be revived due to the AI boom. Westinghouse at one point sold their reactors to China, including all the designs/IP, which was a huge strategic mistake for them and for the US. China then simply cut ties and built their own designs based off the AP1000, what they now call the CAP1000 and CAP1400: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAP1400 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAP1400

johncearls 2y ago
But that was a great quarter. You should have seen the bonuses.
- blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
  You’re probably correct about the incentives. I wonder if some of those same people regret those choices now…
  - chickenbig 2y ago
    Apparently Westinghouse still collect licensing fees for CAP1000 builds https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-w-nelson-484b0713_this-incredible-image-shows-rapid-progress-activity-7280412364779278336-Zoe- https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mark-w-nelson-484b0713_this-i...