A Coming Age .. Hopefully
Hello John,
I fear that "they" found again another use for the material (see current utterings of NoCo and Russias "leaders"), and to which end no one could possibly imagine (western repercussions).
However, being in a Tchernobyl "rainland" and having closely followed that "we can do but just don't care" approach of the F. plant-site in the land of the rising sun, well, is it wise to give matches to small children? Then, there's that around here usually the common people / citizen is made to bear the cost of nuclear waste treatment. And as this pastry is nowadays sought by many to fill their bellies and that waste will clearly outlast any container imaginable, I don't think (this is also my technical / professional opinion) that nuclear is really an option...
Only if one is already on the highway to hell..
Regards ■
Re: A Coming Of Age.
Hi Roland,
The plants you mention are indeed dangerous. In their case the danger is related purely to size.
There is a proposal going the rounds which applies small scale nuclear power plants, similar to those found in ships and submarines, which emphasises the safety record of these power systems and their convenience for location in remote and underdeveloped regions in terms of the distribution infrastructure. In my case I would rather have a nuclear submarine, disarmed, plugged into the Liverpool dockside to replace the present obnoxious coal fired monsters. About 70 km north is the shipyard which builds and maintains the beasts, rather heavily armed, without incident. In Brexitland we have lived with the threat of extinction by nuclear explosion for well over 60 years with few incidents which incidents were attributable to large scale pioneering errors, quite nearby to the shipyard mentioned.
I recall the days when, in my parents generation, it had to be explained to the public, some of them, that electricity from nuclear plants was just the same as electricity from coal fired plants. Hydro didn't get a look into the equation.
Westinghouse are pushing the idea of ship sized nuclear plants on land. Their success will partly depend on viability of a nuclear deterrent capability which will divert efforts from peaceful application.
In situations where renewables are unreliable it seemed to me very appealing to supplement renewables with flexible, portable, smaller scale nuclear generators. Since most people are near the sea it seems better to start off with a fleet of floating generators which could be sailed to different berths when needed. Apart from the notable Royal Navy/French Navy mid Atlantic collision, due to real stealth operations, it is reasonably easy to shut down a maritime nuclear plant. Both vessels were completely safe in nuclear terms: the stealth systems also proved their worth!
Getting back to India's case, they invested in several large scale Russian built nuclear plants and most of them had to be shut down, so nuclear shouldn't be an option for them....but I bet it will be. You are quite right about letting children play with matches. ■
John Gateley johngateley@hotmail.com www.the-credible-bulk.com
Rich In Thorium
Originally Posted by johngateley
The above quote comes from the introduction to Coaltrans India's website for 2017. While the modern world can sympathise with large Asian consumer demand for coal the renewable options seem pretty sparse. Gas is bound to run out since demand rises to meet reserves. The only alternative for these consumers is a nuclear option but the resources there are questionable. Does anyone really know the extent of fuel grade uranium supply?
Dear Sir,
Regarding the Nuclear Option we have got worlds largest Thorium reserves. Scientists have developed Nuclear Reactors which can run on Thorium. Even though the Reactors are still to come in use.
Even Though Coal plays a important role in our Daily needs. Stating INDIA to be a Diversified Country both in Area and Nature. We are developing Solar and Wind Farms to reduce the Coal Usage. (Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu, has a capacity of 648 MW and covers an area of 10 sq km. - Which is worlds largest. Also 1500MW Plant is also being planned at Andhra Pradesh )
Thanks & Regards ■
A Coming of Age.
"Now the focus turns to the future of India’s energy mix and what role coal will play against renewables and gas."
The above quote comes from the introduction to Coaltrans India's website for 2017. While the modern world can sympathise with large Asian consumer demand for coal the renewable options seem pretty sparse. Gas is bound to run out since demand rises to meet reserves. The only alternative for these consumers is a nuclear option but the resources there are questionable. Does anyone really know the extent of fuel grade uranium supply? ■
John Gateley johngateley@hotmail.com www.the-credible-bulk.com