this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2024
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While tech bros will not shut up about how theoretical nuclear energyโข is the future, actual nuclear energy is so much worse than renewables it's almost comical.
It's not that it's worse than renewables, it's different, and long term we do kind of need nuclear as part of the overall energy portfolio.
However right now we need to get off fossil fuels, and the fastest way to do that is to go hard on renewable technology available right now. We can build an excess of energy now - enough to account for when the sun isn't shining or the winding isn't blowing as much - and it will come on gradually over time rather than all at the end like with nuclear. Coupled with BESS (which is launching like a skyrocket right now) it will be possible to cut fossil fuel emissions quite quickly - but if we divert funds to the hole that is nuclear we will detract from our ability to install renewables.
I worked at Hinkley C, so I know what it's like there. People see working there as a long term career, rather than a contract job. They don't really want to push the job along as is normal in the industry, they just kind of sit back in general - but in the worst case the relish in the delays. They also had a fatality where a guy was crushed under a roller - supposedly they were all stood next to it with the engine running, and the driver turned and nudged the controls, althoug the official conclusion has yet to be released. I would have guessed they'd have a fatality from all the cranes lifting overhead everywhere, but they've got away with that so far.
Also, wave to Big Carl, the huge yellow crane in the photos. He's the biggest in the world (or was, might not be anymore).
How does the design of the reactor account for the delays and overruns?
From what I understand all the EHR reactors are behind schedule outside of a few running ones.
I know China and India build lots of Canadian reactors, although China has moved to use of their homegrown adaptation of the Westinghouse AP-1000. They have traditionally operated a lot of CANDU plants as well.
Do you think the EHR is an effective design compared to other international variants or is the problem pretty much just the attitude of the workers?
I don't know much of the details on the reactor design, but yeah EHR's like Hinkley Point C seem to be notorious for being late. I would say that's more of a problem with the design - or rather, that the design is new and complex - than issues with the work force.
The workers are generally very competent, don't get me wrong, but there is little incentive to get things done in a timely manner. Some of this is an intentional attitude towards safety, but on some level this becomes an excuse to stretch the job out and charge more.
The biggest problem with HPC is money. They basically robbed the piggy bank from reactor 2 to help push reactor 1 along, and now they need a ton more money. They did tighten their belts a bit in some regards, and various contracts were renegotiated and shuffled around, but the cost is still growing.