Nuclear Power

[Purple]

i wonder if it incredibly warm and there isnt much wind blowing, what form of renewable would be producing lots of energy in that scenario .....

During cold spells in January and February we often experience periods of low to no wind. The "big freeze" was an extreme example of this. We'll never have enough solar to cover periods like that and the environmental impact of solar is yet to be fully realised but recycling them is very energy intensive and burying them is dangerous as they contain heavy metals (lead and cadmium) which can leach out into ground water.

Batteries have their own issues when it comes to recycling.
Nuclear is much cleaner, consistent and reliable.

 

[Salvadore]

Nuclear is much cleaner, consistent and reliable.

It’s increasingly difficult to understand the blanket refusal to consider nuclear.

Ultimately, the potential risk of a nuclear disaster is a lot less threatening to the survival of the planet than the continued use of gas and fossil fuels.

We can’t wait much longer for other alternatives to get to the level where they offer a viable alternative.

 

[argolis]

A bit off-topic but for anyone interested the EC published an interactive map of all the power plants in the EU:

Energy and Industry Geography Lab

energy-industry-geolab.jrc.ec.europa.eu

 

[TinyChamp]

A bit off-topic but for anyone interested the EC published an interactive map of all the power plants in the EU:

Energy and Industry Geography Lab

energy-industry-geolab.jrc.ec.europa.eu

Great resource, thanks for sharing.

NINE nuclear power plants in the UK.
And, none in Ireland.

Where do you think we'd locate ours if we went ahead and began building one?

 

[argolis]

Not necessarily where Ireland would put it, but offshore nuclear plants are possible. I heard Sarah Cullen from 18for0 mention that there's at least one of these in production use already:

https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/21/07/iaea_webinar_marine-based_smrs_ofnp_m_golay_18may2021.pdf

Float it just off the coast of Britain and wire it back to the pigeon house?

 

[newirishman]

Here's some interesting news.
It'd probably be the first thing I'd lobby for to get into my estate once these are ready for public deployment.

This micro molten salt reactor is designed to fit on a truck

Small, safer vessels could be 'silicon chip' that ushers in new nuclear age

www.theregister.com

 

[Firefly]

Small modular reactors can be mass-produced at relatively low cost and pose less risk

Ireland needs to bite the bullet on nuclear energy

Small modular reactors can be mass-produced at relatively low cost and risk

www.irishtimes.com

 

[ClubMan]

I guess we're going to be using more nuclear generated electricity soon?

Taoiseach signs off Celtic Interconnector plan in Paris

Final construction and finance arrangements for the Celtic interconnector have been signed off in Paris this morning.

www.rte.ie

 

[jpd]

Soon ?
Won't be operationel before 2025 at the earliest

 

[Purple]

Soon ?
Won't be operationel before 2025 at the earliest

That's soon in the context of energy infrastructure.

 

[Zenith63]

Cannot help but feel that in light of everything going on this year we should be at least doubling the capacity of that interconnector while we're going to the effort of building it?

 

[jpd]

The total project cost is estimated a t € 1.6 billion with the cable itself cost € 0.5 billion so doubling it will require a lot of money

 

[Purple]

Cannot help but feel that in light of everything going on this year we should be at least doubling the capacity of that interconnector while we're going to the effort of building it?

It leaves us very vulnerable to sabotage. Not as vulnerable as we are now with only one interconnector from outside the EU but if we want energy security we need Nuclear.