Nuclear Dream Is Fading as Wind and Solar Soar

In many countries, there are plans on paper for new nuclear stations, and China, South Korea and India are among those that are continuing to build them. Other countries, particularly where private capital is needed to finance them, are putting their plans on hold.  The US, which still has the largest number of reactors of any country in the world, is opting instead to extend the life of its plants.  Many operators are considering applying for such extensions from 60 to 80 years.  Provided they are up to modern safety standards, there seems no barrier to this.

Many other countries, including the UK, are extending the lives of their plants as long as possible, so the industry won’t be disappearing any time soon.

But one of the key problems for the nuclear sector is that reactors have been designed to be at full power all of the time.  With renewables taking an increasing share of the market, a combination of nuclear, wind and solar can produce more electricity than required − leaving a problem of what to turn off.

A way round this problem being developed in Britain is large, strategically-based batteries. A five-megawatt battery, the largest in Europe, has just been commissioned in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, in the middle of England.

This is charged up when there is too much power in the grid, and releases its energy when there is a surge in demand.

If, during a two-year trial, this works to smooth the peaks and troughs of demand, and cuts the costs of switching on expensive gas turbines, then a network of batteries will be installed across the country to harvest the intermittent supplies of renewables.

The only bright spot for nuclear at the moment is the development of small nuclear reactors.  These are from 30 megawatts upwards and are designed to be built in a factory and assembled on site − a bit like wind turbines are.

These can be installed singly or in a series, depending on the demand.  Their two greatest selling points are that they would be good in remote locations far from other power sources, and are said to be much safer than their larger cousins.

However, a drawback is the price tag of around $3 billion dollars.  Both the US and UK are supporting private firms in research and development, but commercial operation is a long way off.

Read mopre at Nuclear Dream Is Fading as Wind and Solar Soar