# Why aren't we building a nuclear power station in Ireland



## Teatime (27 Oct 2009)

Surely now is the time to start planning and building a nuclear power station in this backrupt country of ours. We are reaching peak oil and prices are on the up again. Nuclear is safe, green and relatively cheap.


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## ivuernis (27 Oct 2009)

No chance, we can't even pipe gas from Corrib without major ructions.


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## Purple (27 Oct 2009)

We will just buy nuclear power from the UK. It doesn't make sense for us to build one; the UK have the economies of scale so it will be cheaper to buy power from them.


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## mathepac (27 Oct 2009)

Teatime said:


> ...  Nuclear is safe, green ...


When did that happen, other than in nuclear industry press releases I mean?


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## Purple (27 Oct 2009)

mathepac said:


> When did that happen, other than in nuclear industry press releases I mean?



It's far greener than burning fossel fuels.


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## mathepac (27 Oct 2009)

Purple said:


> It's far greener than burning fossel fuels.


That depends - what kind of "nuclear power station" are we talking about here, with what requirement for downstream waste processing and storage systems?


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## corkgal (27 Oct 2009)

Because if there is ONE accident the entire island has to be evacuated. Where would we go? The country is physically too small for a risk like that.

There are better green solutions too, and we have enough wind, wave and sea to harness a lot of power.


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## mathepac (27 Oct 2009)

corkgal said:


> ... Where would we go? ...


It's all planned. We take them auld iodine tablets and swim for Rockall.


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## z104 (27 Oct 2009)

I think we should part fund one in North east Co. Antrim.


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## truthseeker (27 Oct 2009)

mathepac said:


> It's all planned. We take them auld iodine tablets and swim for Rockall.


 
I only bought my place since they last sent out the iodine tablets, so I havent got any. Would anyone be willing to send me any surplus ones they have - Id like to be prepared.

I do have my copy of the useful government publication that tells me what to do in the event of a nuclear emergency though, fine glossy paper its printed on, in Irish and in English so plenty of good quality pages to stuff down my pants to keep my bum warm in the nuclear winter.


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## Yorrick (28 Oct 2009)

"It's all planned. We take them auld iodine tablets and swim for Rockall. "

My Iodine tablets have gone past their expiry date. Are they still safe to take or should I apply to the Department for a re-issue ? I can't sleep worrying about this. Should I ring Joe Duffy when he comes back from another break ?


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## Purple (28 Oct 2009)

truthseeker said:


> fine glossy paper its printed on, in Irish and in English so plenty of good quality pages to stuff down my pants to keep my bum warm in the nuclear winter.


 You'd be using them to keep your intestine from running out through your ass due to radiation sickness.


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## baldyman27 (28 Oct 2009)

Purple said:


> You'd be using them to keep your intestine from running out through your ass due to radiation sickness.


 
but...



truthseeker said:


> fine glossy paper its printed on.


 
Can't see it being very effective so.


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## anon473 (28 Oct 2009)

I went to a talk by an official in the CER (commission for elec reg) last year and he suggested that Ireland would have its own Nuclear Power station within the next 20 years but that it would be situated in Wales. His opinion was that building our own would be prohibitively difficult due to the planning process. 

anon473


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## Purple (28 Oct 2009)

anon473 said:


> I went to a talk by an official in the CER (commission for elec reg) last year and he suggested that Ireland would have its own Nuclear Power station within the next 20 years but that it would be situated in Wales. His opinion was that building our own would be prohibitively difficult due to the planning process.
> 
> anon473


Yea, lots of ESB people have been using that line for the last 10-15 years... and they are right.


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## Vanilla (28 Oct 2009)

I'm not completely adverse to nuclear power, it has advantages and disadvantages. However I think if we invest the kind of money necessary to build a nuclear power plant there will be none left to invest in renewable energies and that is where we should be concentrating for the future.


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## Howitzer (28 Oct 2009)

Build an interconnector to the French grid. Job done.

Also, given the time differential, you gain both financially and in terms of efficiencies of supply/demand. You also, also, legitimise renewables by providing a market and fallback capacity for them.


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## elefantfresh (28 Oct 2009)

Whatever about green, or moral issues or finances. Does ANYone here trust our government with Uranium? Imagine Willie O'Dea looking after it! LOL!

To quote Lenny Leonardson
"Homer is a great nuclear safety inspector but Im just not sure if I trust him with my garbage"


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## z107 (1 Nov 2009)

> Nuclear is safe, green and relatively cheap.


Nuclear is not cheap by any means. In fact it outrageously expensive. When you take into consideration reactor decommission costs you are into mega-bucks.

It's not renewable energy either. Uranium ore is a limited resource, just like oil and coal. It also needs to be mined, transported etc, etc... all energy intensive.  What will we do with the waste? there is still no solution to this. (yukka mountain, mayak). So I wouldn't call it 'green energy'.

Nuclear isn't 'safe'. It would have to be 100% safe which no nuclear power station can be. The more nuclear power stations that are built, just ups the risk. (percentage risk*number of power stations). There are still many accidents happening even now, so don't believe the crap that new designs are safe.

One last thing. We all know about Chernobyl. So far this has cost $200Billion, with 500,000 liquidators involved. I remember the Welsh farmers having to destroy lambs at the time. Indeed, even today they are still under restrictions. This is in Wales - decades later!
Why not clean up this mess first before building more nuclear power stations?


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## ninsaga (1 Nov 2009)

Well, good aul' Ireland - to get one but here would cost twice the initial estimate, there would be a few back handers, no politician would want it in their area, we would spend about €100m on commissioning a report - get the same people in who designed the port tunnel & probably build it in the Burren.....


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## Complainer (1 Nov 2009)

ninsaga said:


> get the same people in who designed the port tunnel


Do you have a problem with the design of the tunnel?


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## ninsaga (1 Nov 2009)

did I just hit a nerve - tunnel does not take higher trucks


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## Complainer (2 Nov 2009)

ninsaga said:


> did I just hit a nerve - tunnel does not take higher trucks


Ah I see now. And who has these higher trucks that can't get into the tunnel?


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## Purple (2 Nov 2009)

Complainer said:


> And who has these higher trucks that can't get into the tunnel?


 Wild guess but I'd say hauliage and delivery companies would be the best bet.


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