Bill Gates-backed nuclear contender Terra Power aims to build dozens of UK reactors::A Bill Gates-backed clean energy player is hoping to build dozens of nuclear reactors in the UK and will compete with global rivals.
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We did produce cost competitive nuclear. When France went through it’s oil crisis recovery shift to nuclear, they built them every single year for a decade, going from a couple to 40+ in the span of a decade.
We’ve just stopped. So then of course the institutional knowledge disappears.
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Honestly its a pretty great use of money if you’re thinking long term. A useful if not ideal energy source for the climate crisis especially with batteries not quite being there yet, and thinking past that to more substantial space exploration/colonization its good to already have a working power source that doesn’t rely specifically on earths environment.
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The water source is used only for cooling; the heated steam is condensed and fed back into the reactor in a closed loop. While cooling is more difficult in space than on Earth, it’s not impossible.
And electric cars have had over 100 years, so should we have given up on them? Your argument is flawed.
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The technology of modern reactors ,like the one in the article, is a greater advancement from early reactors that the 1900th century electric car to a modern one.
The materials, manufacturing techniques, fuels, controls, and components are only achievable due to modern advancements.
The latest reactors will be cheaper, more efficient, and safer. They are a necessary stopgap to overcome the transient nature of renewable energy in the UK and an important piece in ensuring energy availability and detachment from from fossil fuels.
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We know historic nuclear is expensive. Cost is the entire point of SMRs. Let’s not use reductionist logic to make a complex problem seem simple. It is complicated and whether SMRs succeed is still to be determined but there is good logic in the aims they have set out and I hope they succeed.
As for renewable, it would be wonderful if we could store energy to overcome the ebs and flows of power they currently produce, but I am not aware of any technology currently allowing this to sufficient costs and practicalities. This is where nuclear may be required
It doesn’t matter if you produce 400% the required energy in a year with renewables if we have to go without even a fraction of the time.
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If it is that easy, show me one example where any of those technologies have been deployed at a scale required for even a day usage of an entire nation?
Truth is, its hard to do. We will get there, but not sufficiently fast for where we need, hence the continuing need for nuclear.
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Yeah we’ll just install … checks notes … Flywheels for our entire energy consumption.
That seems not only smart but cheap and safe too!! Lol
All of those EV advancements were only in the passed 20 years.
The first electric vehicle was made well over 100 years ago. Until very recently they were considered wildly expensive and impractical.
You consider nuclear to me unnecessary and impractical because we’ve had the tech for 75 years and it’s still expensive. Yet nuclear tech is younger than EVs, and you discredit advancements because… reasons.
Your stance confuses me.
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It’s your stance that is confusing. I mean if you didn’t strawman on purpose.
Now I know you’re just trolling.
Have a good night
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