Nuclear Investing?

[Chuckanut]

More proof that the Law of Unintended Consequences is alive and doing well....

From today's (6/24/22) WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nuclear-power-climate-change-russia-energy-11655995024?page=1

Since it is behind a paywall I will post a few quotes....

Western nations are betting big on nuclear power, decades after safety concerns pushed it out of favor—only they have lost their expertise in building the reactors.

The nations that gave birth to the nuclear age are short on managers and skilled workers with experience in building reactors after shunning nuclear energy for years. A handful of plants already under construction across the U.S. and Europe are years late and billions over budget. The projects have left companies insolvent and exposed weaknesses in U.S. and European nuclear engineering capabilities.

“We had to train welders and all these other crafts to be nuclear workers,” said Will Salters, a union official working on the construction at the Vogtle plant in Burke County, Ga. “We hardly had them in the country. All the ones we had were either retired or passed away.”

 

[USGrant1962]

More proof that the Law of Unintended Consequences is alive and doing well....

From today's (6/24/22) WSJ

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nuclear-power-climate-change-russia-energy-11655995024?page=1

Since it is behind a paywall I will post a few quotes....

Yup, the nuclear supply chain (meeting NQA-1 standards) has been a disaster for a couple of decades now. The rigor of documentation and the skills (especially nuclear certified welders) are gone. The stuff I've seen from old-school nuclear-grade welders is amazing. Welds done by hand in the field that look better than anything in a factory. It's an art.

 

[Gumby]

Yup, the nuclear supply chain (meeting NQA-1 standards) has been a disaster for a couple of decades now. The rigor of documentation and the skills (especially nuclear certified welders) are gone. The stuff I've seen from old-school nuclear-grade welders is amazing. Welds done by hand in the field that look better than anything in a factory. It's an art.

Back in my late 20s, I was a startup, test and operations engineer for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio - qualified to act as the shift supervisor/senior reactor operator in the control room. I was part of the team that, in November 1987, delivered into commercial operation what was one of the last commercial nuclear power stations to be built in the United States. At that time, I was one of the youngest members of the team, and I am now 63. So you can see the problem.

 

[almost there]

Bad investment. Have been in the industry since Jan 1984. (great industry to be in) But our Politicians, education system and the Media ruined it. Even if they claim to be for it and are crawfishing today. Not happening.
Its the safest source of power production period. But its a no go in the USA.

 

[almost there]

Yup, the nuclear supply chain (meeting NQA-1 standards) has been a disaster for a couple of decades now. The rigor of documentation and the skills (especially nuclear certified welders) are gone. The stuff I've seen from old-school nuclear-grade welders is amazing. Welds done by hand in the field that look better than anything in a factory. It's an art.

Yep, some have it, most don't. Its a gift, that very, very few have. Takes roll of dimes to the next level.

 

[mpeirce]

Looks like even the Germans are discussing not only keeping their last three nuclear power plants running, but bringing a few back online.

https://www.bild.de/bild-plus/polit...in-deutschland-noch-laufen-80822124.bild.html

“We are convinced that the three power plants are in a safety-related state that would make it possible to get them back online. The plants "were and are in excellent condition" and were "one of the safest and technically best power plants available worldwide.”

 

[almost there]

It could make a comeback, as we are now in such a pickle. Will see if they go back to calling nuclear power and Natural gas "Green energy". That and a bit of education is all it would take. Most plants in the states were built in the 70's -80's. So its not going to be fast.....10+ years anyway...

 

[mpeirce]

The Chinese just commissioned their first thorium, molten salt reactor.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Chinese-molten-salt-reactor-cleared-for-start-up

This is the first molten salt nuclear reactor since the US shutdown a test reactor in 1969. It’s still considered experimental, but this puts them well out ahead of western technology.

 

[Chuckanut]

Bill Gates founded TerraPower company wants to build its first nuclear power reactor to show what a modern nuclear power plant is like. Good. But, there is a catch. There will be a delay of at least two years. Delays in such things are not uncommon, but the reason is unusual.

TerraPower was counting on Russia to supply it with high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel.

Russia is the only commercial source of this fuel.

Go figure.

 

[Koolau]

Bill Gates founded TerraPower company wants to build its first nuclear power reactor to show what a modern nuclear power plant is like. Good. But, there is a catch. There will be a delay of at least two years. Delays in such things are not uncommon, but the reason is unusual.
Russia is the only commercial source of this fuel.

Go figure.

Disappointing but not at all surprising.

 

[Chuckanut]

From the 1/8/24 WSJ:

https://wallstreetjournal-ny.newsmemory.com/?publink=03a483f1c_134d110

At the United Nations climate- control conference in Dubai, officials from 20 countries last month agreed to a pact led by the U.S. that would triple global nuclear-energy output over three decades. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed legislation aimed at weaning the U.S. off Russia’s nuclear fuel over time and helping to build capacity to enrich uranium domestically. In November, the U.S. signed an agreement to facilitate the sale of nuclear-energy technology and material to the Philippines, just one southeast Asian country that is re-examining nuclear energy a dozen years after the Fukushima disaster in Japan.