Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:11 am Post subject: Re: UK Government Response to Peak Oil Petition
energyZ wrote:
Should the UK consider a new generation of reactors as alternative energy sources?
Absolutely. But their construction is likley to be hampered by shortages of oil and natural gas needed to manufacture and transport the tens of thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete required. Rising costs of energy inputs and programme delays are likely to push up the capital costs of the plants. Unless the construction of plants is fast tracked (which means giving two fingers to the NII regulators) the reactors will come on line too late to help mitigate the first decace of crisis.
One solution might be to reverse the decision to decommission the existing magnox plants and extend the life of the UKs AGRs, even if it means refilling the cores with fresh graphite. With great effort, many of the closed plants could be brought online again. Difficult though this would be, it could be done more rapidly than attempting to build new plants. The electricity they produce will be expensive, but it is better to have expensive electricity than none at all.
One key problem: reactors produce electricity, not petroleum. Unless the government is able to electrify the roads and crank up production of electric vehicles at break-neck speed, they won't help much with our transportation problems.
Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:12 am Post subject: Re: UK Government Response to Peak Oil Petition
energyZ wrote:
Should the UK consider a new generation of reactors as alternative energy sources?
Absolutely. But their construction is likley to be hampered by shortages of oil and natural gas needed to manufacture and transport the tens of thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete required. Rising costs of energy inputs and programme delays are likely to push up the capital costs of the plants. Unless the construction of plants is fast tracked (which means giving two fingers to the NII regulators) the reactors will come on line too late to help mitigate the first decace of crisis.
One solution might be to reverse the decision to decommission the existing magnox plants and extend the life of the UKs AGRs, even if it means refilling the cores with fresh graphite. With great effort, many of the closed plants could be brought online again. Difficult though this would be, it could be done more rapidly than attempting to build new plants. The electricity they produce will be expensive, but it is better to have expensive electricity than none at all.
One key problem: reactors produce electricity, not petroleum. Unless the government is able to electrify the roads and crank up production of electric vehicles at break-neck speed, they won't help much with our transportation problems.
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