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38 comments on The UK Energy White Paper: An Academic Critique
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38 comments on The UK Energy White Paper: An Academic Critique
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All these thoughts are small thoughts. It appears as if nobody is at the large scale systemic issues that would enable change. Looks like it will require a shock, and that the shock will engender a mass nuclear building programme as the quick fix.
That's my reading.
When you talk about the large scale systemic issues that would enable change are you referring to a system like TEQs?
If so I agree that such a system is necessary, and that it seems very possible that it will only be implemented as a reaction to some shock, but I think the argument is still there to be won to ensure that the Government turns to TEQs rather than nuclear in that circumstance. After all, nuclear power stations take well over a decade to build, so they represent a strange choice as a 'quick fix'.
Very good point - I see no evidence suggesting that some 8GW of new nuclear capacity can be built and online by 2018, the year by which a total of 8GW of current capacity will be taken offline. Gee, some 6GW will be gone by 2014!
New nuclear build simply isn't an option for replacing the old fleet - we've left the decision too late.
I have to wonder if some of these plants really will be taken offline on schedule - after all, the political pressure to keep them running and hence avoid blackouts will be high.
There are three types of reactor in the UK, Magnox, (advanced gas cooled reactor) AGR and (pressurised water reactor) PWR. The Magnox are mostly already closed (only 2 left from 11 in total) with the last one closing in 2010. I don’t think there is any opportunity to extend their life as the facility that handles the fuel is also at end of life.
The 7 AGRs make up the bulk of the fleet, all approx 1.2GW and had decommission dates from 2008 to 2023. Dungeness B that was due to close in 2008 but was granted a 10 year extension to 2018. The next two facing the chop are now Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B, both due to close in 2011 after 35 years operation. However these have both past their recent safety inspection which in theory means they are good for another 10 years. An extension to 2017 is under consideration for both these two – decision made in March 2008.
The only PWR is good ‘til 2035.
Let's face the reality - you simply can not afford to lose those nukes. And this will become brutally obvious this winter or next.
My prediction - all AGRs and PWRs will get extensions. The 2 Magnox reactors of course will go but these are quite small units and it will not affect the overall balance significantly.
Tony Benn was reminiscing on a politics programme on BBC 4 yesterday and explained how the civil servants when he was energy minister wanted US made PWR. But Tony wouldn't have any of it.
Very proud of how he stood in the way and pursued more loony (and unproven) schemes.
ON a general point, fascinating overview ut nobody wants to pick up the ball and run and put down an over arching strategy ... sleepwalking seems to be the style of academia.
Needs a Barnes Wallis to put a banger up someone's bum... The guy who was banging on about energy security was 100% correct.
Final note ... OK so we build (hurriedly) say 10 Nuclear power plants ... where are the engineers ?
Interesting on the recent comment re Sputnik how that was a banger up the bum of US academe to to produce engineers by the bus load.
Perhaps if Putin (AKA Gazprom) who own the Belgin compressor stations (well a large % of) cut off our gas.
Thye would be doing us a favour.