New nuclear power plants in Britain

[Atomic_Piggy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7184136.stm

There's a new spring in the step of Britain's nuclear community, a positive glow at the news that the government has made one of the most momentous energy decisions for a generation: that it's declared atomic power to be back in fashion.

As one of the few journalists allowed inside the Sizewell nuclear power station in Suffolk this week, I sensed the relief, even the delight, that long years as the unloved cousins of the country's electricity generators are over.

I've seen this windswept spot in gloomier times, for example five years ago when a White Paper was deliberately cool towards nuclear power.

A few years later the government's own green advisers came out against it. On those occasions the faces of Sizewell were long and drawn.

How different they are now. With the great dome of the reactor starkly white against a clear blue sky, I pass through the entrance into a distinctly happier nuclear world.

Big engineering

Even the security man seems jolly as he demands that I hand over my mobile phone and sign a fearsome document promising not to reveal any secrets of the operation (though believe me, if I'd seen a double-headed rabbit or a luminous stream of radioactive gloop or even a Homer Simpson lookalike you would have heard about it).

I feel sheepish until I realise everyone else is wearing the same faintly ridiculous garb, even a man the nuclear industry must want to sanctify right now, the Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton, whose historic announcement on Thursday has transformed its future.

I watch his eyes widen at the extraordinary scale of the turbine hall, a mind-boggling tangle of giant pipes transporting steam from the reactor next door to the massive machines that are spun to generate electricity. The whole floor vibrates, the din is overwhelming, and I'm desperate to ask some questions.

Soviet spectre

First, what happens if things go wrong? Like everyone, I still find the footage of Chernobyl chilling.

And I've seen an uglier side of the nuclear industry firsthand. Ten years ago I reported from the Russian-designed nuclear station at Kozloduy in Bulgaria and winced at the bundles of worn wiring, the broken Geiger counter over the main entrance and reactors that had no containment to trap any radioactive eruption.

A European Union nuclear safety expert was there at the time and, when I asked him if he and his team wanted to eat with us that evening in the local town, he replied very sharply that there was no way he would risk staying anywhere near the place.

I've also filmed at the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow, named for the father of the Soviet atomic bomb, where the institute's press officer so distrusted his own scientists' assurances that he carried a personal radiation meter.

He kept checking it, and so did I. It registered normal until we stepped inside one of the research laboratories housing an experimental reactor. Then the little meter was so overwhelmed by radiation it registered zero. We kept our filming extremely short.

I mention all this to Brian Dowds, Sizewell's director. I ask him, could a Chernobyl-style accident happen here?

Our tomorrows

No, he tells me, it's a totally different system. If anything goes wrong, the control rods that govern the speed of the reactor simply drop and shut the system down.

But what if the control rods don't drop as they're meant to?

They will, he says, they're suspended by magnets and if there's a problem the power shuts off and the magnets fall. Brian speaks so matter-of-factly that it would easy to believe there are no risks at all.

I come away thinking that the new strategy of the nuclear industry is to make everything sound as mundane as possible.

Britain's new reactors will come off the shelf, possibly from France. The designs themselves are described as being almost in kit form - no surprises, nothing experimental like Britain's earlier generations of nuclear reactor.

And what about the radioactive waste? Us taxpayers are now footing the ?70bn for handling the aftermath of the older nuclear power stations.

The answer? The new ones won't produce so much waste and anyway industry will cover the costs.

The problem? The industry's track record over the past 50 years has not always involved unalloyed truth, to put it mildly. Will things be different now?

I get my phone back and step outside into the brisk winter air. John Hutton talks of a new dawn for nuclear power. The fact is, it won't be his generation that knows if his decision was the right one.

 

[No Limit]

I didn't read the entire article but good for the Brits, nuclear power is an awesome thing. We haven't built one here in the US in over 30 years, its about time we built some more.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

I didn't read the entire article but good for the Brits, nuclear power is an awesome thing. We haven't built one here in the US in over 30 years, its about time we built some more.

I agree. Look at France (yeah, I know its horrible, but just for a few seconds ). Most of there energy comes from nuclear energy - and they are doing fine. Plus, they don't have to worry about peak oil or anything.

You can stop looking now. If your eyes haven't melted.

 

[CptStern]

it's pronounced nu-culer

 

[Mr Stabby]

Finally the government has managed to do something sensible.

The Swiss nuclear energy programme is the best in the world.

 

[Pesmerga]

It's pronounced "shut the **** up and go eat some bacon"

 

[Eejit]

Sounds good to me.

 

[kirovman]

Didn't they stop building them becausw they weren't economiclly viable? (i.e. It takes a day or so to turn one on, much too slow to respond to demand).

Anyway, at least SCIENCE! prevails.

 

[No Limit]

Didn't they stop building them becausw they weren't economiclly viable? (i.e. It takes a day or so to turn one on, much too slow to respond to demand).

Anyway, at least SCIENCE! prevails.

I couldn't tell you that but france seems to be doing very well with them, from what I've heard I think 80% of their energy comes from nuclear power.

 

[PvtRyan]

Good. Goverments should stop listening to the retards of Greenpeace. Those idiots even oppose nuclear fusion because over a period of months to years, the reactor walls become slightly radioactive through constant neutron bombardment and would need to be replaced. They panic at hearing the word "radiation" while being painfully unaware of all the kinds of radioactive radiation they're being exposed to, day in and day out.

 

[ríomhaire]

Now you can get an electrifying career in...line?...nu-cu-lar power.

I fully support nuclear power.

 

[Kadayi]

Despite the risks it's probably a lot less damaging long term than continuing to burn Fossil fuels for the next 30 years. The real issue is to try and reduce peoples energy consumption though.

 

[nurizeko]

Good. Goverments should stop listening to the retards of Greenpeace. Those idiots even oppose nuclear fusion because over a period of months to years, the reactor walls become slightly radioactive through constant neutron bombardment and would need to be replaced. They panic at hearing the word "radiation" while being painfully unaware of all the kinds of radioactive radiation they're being exposed to, day in and day out.

My sentiments exactly, amazing how general ignorance of something causing irrational fear causing people to jump into the arms of eco loons.

The absolute height of retardation to argue against a technology completely based on an unfounded and ignorant fear, when said technology, if you bother to not remain a completely ignorant plonk, is clearly one of, if not the best energy provider going.


Just a shame Scotland wont get any, apparently dumping windmills everywhere is going to solve our problems still.

 

[Jerry_111]

Building new ones is a good idea. Trying to maintain the old ones forever isn't going to work well.

 

[jverne]

it's not like i haven't been saying this almost forever.
nuclear power is the only thing that will supply enough base energy for our raising demand.

sure you could go ****ing build wind turbines all over the ****ing globe. we could have portable wind turbine backpacks. walking will produce electricity.

we need compact energy sources.

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Mera K?rnkraft!
Annars sv?lter vi ihj?l!
Mera K?rnkraft!
Boman vill oss alla v?l!
Om det sm?ller n?gonstans,
f?r vi gratis ambulans - Mera K?rnkraft!

*cough* Yes, sorry, errm... Nuclear power is a good thing. Except when it's a bad thing. But it's a good thing, too. So, more nuclear power. Sweden needs to stop shutting down our plants, too.

 

[Avoidist]

Now we can finally stop global warming and have that nuclear winter we have always wanted. Seriously though, this is a very good step.

 

[bbson john]

Stalker Stalker Stalker








Btw, nuclear plants are safe under modern technology.

 

[Llama]

So were old ones. Just not as much

Chernobyl didn't go fubab because it was unsafe, but because the pricks working there didn't tell anyone something had gone wrong until it was too late. XD

 

[Dynasty]

it's not like i haven't been saying this almost forever.
nuclear power is the only thing that will supply enough base energy for our raising demand.

sure you could go ****ing build wind turbines all over the ****ing globe. we could have portable wind turbine backpacks. walking will produce electricity.

we need compact energy sources.

Yeah but if we supply MORE than our demands, wont we just think its ok to consume more and then we all go back to where we started again?

 

[kirovman]

Fossil Fuels actually release more radioactivity into the atmosphere than Nuclear power because of all the C-13 and C-14 isotopes present in the fuels.

 

[Llama]

Yeah but if we supply MORE than our demands, wont we just think its ok to consume more and then we all go back to where we started again?

Unless every person somehow increase their power requirments by 9 or 10 fol,d that isn't an issue. Besides, it's a silly argument since our society does that anyway with fossil fuels.

 

[repiV]

STALKER 2: Shadow of Birmingham

Hell, the place is as bleak as the Zone even without the nuclear winter...

 

[Llama]

You live in London my friend. You can't say anything about my city

 

[repiV]

You live in London my friend. You can't say anything about my city

Birmingham is a city/hellhole in northern England. Your version of it is nothing but an imitation.

 

[Llama]

Oh, my version of Birmingham is exactly the same as the others.

It's just we don't have road tax.

OOOOOOO, BURN!

 

[kirovman]

Birmingham is a city/hellhole in northern England. Your version of it is nothing but an imitation.

Northern? Northern?

They are in the midlands, don't tar Northerners with the brummy-brush.

Birmingham is hell, everytime I go there, I never fail to get lost and unable to leave. It's a blackhole.

 

[jverne]

Yeah but if we supply MORE than our demands, wont we just think its ok to consume more and then we all go back to where we started again?

well yes...no energy source will provide enough energy for human selfishness and ignorance.

 

[ericms]

My Dad is a nuclear engineer, and yet most of you know more about the subject than I do. I have a distaste for most engineering disciplines when, honestly, I shouldn't.

Engineering is murder.

 

[The Monkey]

Sweden has a stong anti-nuclear movement, a remain from the hippie era. I'm so ****ing tired of it. Now they're actually closing down nuclear power plants instead of building new ones!

 

[jverne]

first what we all should do is to be more energy conservative.

no residential building should be without insulation, using heat pumps should be standard, drive small cars avoid using inefficient appliances, and millions more.

personally i'd be fine with that, i try to be a modest person. also i'm comfortable with my penis size so i don't need some excessive crap (cars, gadgets,...) there is out there.


and remember this saying..."i'm too poor to buy cheap stuff"!

 

[PvtRyan]

Sweden has a stong anti-nuclear movement, a remain from the hippie era. I'm so ****ing tired of it. Now they're actually closing down nuclear power plants instead of building new ones!

Doesn't sound too bad to me:
http://www.uic.com.au/nip39.htm

Lawd, Sweden sounds like such an awesome country. Very reasonable on a lot of counts, the majority of the people who live their actually seem intelligent and reasonable!

 

[The Monkey]

Doesn't sound too bad to me:
http://www.uic.com.au/nip39.htm

Lawd, Sweden sounds like such an awesome country. Very reasonable on a lot of counts, the majority of the people who live their actually seem intelligent and reasonable!

They're actually still using the 1980 referendum as an argument against nuclear power:

-We need more nuclear powers plants to halt global warming and to provide more power
-But the people 28 years voted against it.
-Lawd, the majority of the people who voted back then are dead. And they had three "no" options and zero "yes" options, so it wasn't exactly a fair poll, was it?

 

[nurizeko]

Hell, the place is as bleak as the Zone even without the nuclear winter...

The beautiful Irony being that in the real zone, without human interference, nature around Chernobyl is doing quite well, thriving if one may say.

Birmingham is hell, everytime I go there, I never fail to get lost and unable to leave. It's a blackhole.

No, thats Sheffield. You cant find it for love or money, but when you do, its as if the fogs lift and instead of the dark grey abyss of central England your engulfed by the satanical horrors of the Sheffield road system, never able to leave.

Only a few ever get out and they are never the same...

*eyes glaze over as he seems to be staring into the horrible stretch of memory behind him*

well yes...no energy source will provide enough energy for human selfishness and ignorance.

Harnessing the power of a sun might do the trick.

first what we all should do is to be more energy conservative.

no residential building should be without insulation, using heat pumps should be standard, drive small cars avoid using inefficient appliances, and millions more.

personally i'd be fine with that, i try to be a modest person. also i'm comfortable with my penis size so i don't need some excessive crap (cars, gadgets,...) there is out there.

Because we all know how reliable, placing bets on all of society to do exactly as you wish works. Communism relied on the same misguided lack of understanding of human nature and look what it gave the world.

I think it would be better to use more efficient and cleaner energy sources TBH.

 

[Death.Trap]

I didn't read the entire article but good for the Brits, nuclear power is an awesome thing. We haven't built one here in the US in over 30 years, its about time we built some more.

Theres currently 30 odd licenses for new reactors in front of the NRC.

 

[Death.Trap]

Engineering is murder.

I'd love to hear you elaborate on that one.

 

[ericms]

I'd love to hear you elaborate on that one.

Oh, I bet you would love to.. hear me.. elaborate.. on that. Psh.

...Um, why don't you just take me at my word? Ooh. I bet you're regretting that statement now. Anyway, last I heard engineering is behind al-Qaeda. Hard to stick up for your discipline now once the facts are out, huh?

 

[repiV]

Northern? Northern?

They are in the midlands, don't tar Northerners with the brummy-brush.

Birmingham is hell, everytime I go there, I never fail to get lost and unable to leave. It's a blackhole.

To me, anything north of Watford is up norf. Even though I'm only a few miles south of Watford. :E

Northamptonshire and Warwickshire are like the end of civilisation...and the small villages around Milton Keynes are like exploring the wilderness...

first what we all should do is to be more energy conservative.

no residential building should be without insulation, using heat pumps should be standard, drive small cars avoid using inefficient appliances, and millions more.

personally i'd be fine with that, i try to be a modest person. also i'm comfortable with my penis size so i don't need some excessive crap (cars, gadgets,...) there is out there.


and remember this saying..."i'm too poor to buy cheap stuff"!

You can't tell people how to spend their money. You're not a dictator.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Wow, a step in the right direction, and a huge surprise considering how very strong the anti-science current in the UK is at the moment.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[kirovman]

To me, anything north of Watford is up norf. Even though I'm only a few miles south of Watford. :E

Watford Gap, surely? Otherwise, I'm up North right now, despite being 30 mins from London :O

Northamptonshire and Warwickshire are like the end of civilisation...and the small villages around Milton Keynes are like exploring the wilderness...

Where I come from must be like the end of the Earth then :E

You can't tell people how to spend their money. You're not a dictator.

True, but it'd be nice if they made sure all new builds adhered to certain standards (like not being positioned on flood plains :E) and if they offered help in helping people insulate or improve their homes, even if it's just knocking the VAT off their bill.