Thread: The next nuclear plants .The answer to our climate goals.

Originally Posted by ATH

"because sunlight and wind are free. " Absolute rubbish. What's free about the energy intensive towers for wind? What's free about the ongoing maintenance of windmills?
What's free about the manufacture of the huge arrays of solar panels? What's free about the distribution of the power they produce?
And what's free about the power that has to be provided when these wonderful "free" things can't produce power because of a lack of wind or sunlight?
Absolute greenie crap.
AlanH.

Why are some people so negative about sunlight, don't they realise when they are burning coal, diesel, petrol they are just using stored sunlight, i.e. photosynthesis grew plants which animals ate, the whole lot got buried and we now use it as fuel. Why not cut out all the processes in between, and just use solar and wind power directly? Also mining/drilling for and transporting of liquid/solid fuels are not free, and all that equipment needs maintenance too. Renewable energy can be stored, either chemically, kinetically or thermally.

The problem I see with going nuclear is every step produces waste.
Creating yellow cake makes waste, and then every step to a fuel rod.
The spent fuel rod is then treated and makes more waste.
The pipes and containment vessels with regards to power plant operation need to be replaced from time to time and makes more waste.
Robots and other devices used to treat and move fuel and waste, or by products become waste too.
Just too much waste, yes some of it may be short term low level stuff, but much of it is not.
Lucas Heights I remember as a kid has waste in under ground containment vessels stored off site not far away and what fun that could be if someone who wanted to make trouble.............I cannot see how it has been moved in the years since and the vessels were set up for the long term.
I am not against nuclear, but currently we dont have enough answers to the problems and the true running costs of the whole process from start to long term waste is never factored in.
The Thorum salt reactors, may be able to use lower quailty fuels and be a very safe design, but the waste from radio active pipes which have to replaced often is a big problem and the pipes and waste from thorum reactors emits high levels of radiation of very nasty types for Hundreds of years.
I dont profess to be a expert on this stuff, but my own investigation with a open eye to the whole picture.

Originally Posted by ATH

"because sunlight and wind are free. " Absolute rubbish. What's free about the energy intensive towers for wind? What's free about the ongoing maintenance of windmills?
What's free about the manufacture of the huge arrays of solar panels? What's free about the distribution of the power they produce?
And what's free about the power that has to be provided when these wonderful "free" things can't produce power because of a lack of wind or sunlight?
Absolute greenie crap.
AlanH.

No, it's totally true. Sunshine and wind ARE free. The energy inputs are free. Just a fact.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

No, it's totally true. Sunshine and wind ARE free. The energy inputs are free. Just a fact.

By that same logic - Coal is free.

The extraction or processing is not free, just as the conversion equipment for Solar and Wind is not free.

Technically, Coal is also renewable.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

No, it's totally true. Sunshine and wind ARE free. The energy inputs are free. Just a fact.

excellent. we should be seeing energy prices coming down any day now...

solar is not renewable

Originally Posted by Eevo

solar is not renewable

Energy gets recycled into new forms in an endless cycle.

Originally Posted by Tombie

By that same logic - Coal is free.

The extraction or processing is not free, just as the conversion equipment for Solar and Wind is not free.

Technically, Coal is also renewable.

Solar and wind are free at the processing plant, but coal and gas cost lots of money to mine and transport.