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It’s just too expensive – the UK nuclear plan

Nuclear Shambles : Ed Miliband vows nuclear power is safe Media Lens Message Board  by jo abbess  on November 9, 2009, Ed Miliband, or the people advising him, think that people are opposed to New Nuclear Power on principle, or that the reason why people resist a new round of nuclear are mainly opposed because they unconvinced of their safety.I’m mainly opposed to Nuclear Power because it’s expensive, dirty and unreliable……………..

There are huge “sunk costs” in the build phase of nuclear : unless they are guaranteed to produce power at the rate they are designed for they are just construction follies, money pits.

Plus, the payback on the energy and resources invested is very very slow. As you build a new nuclear plant, you invest carbon emissions that you don’t recoup for over 20 years, by which time the plant could be ready to close. The economics don’t stack up ……………….

There are several kinds of insurance problems with such cross-your-fingers projects : not just insurance for massive accidents, but also on whether the projects can get completed on time and to budget. The recent European efforts don’t inspire on this front.

Who is going to front the insurance money for the nuclear industry to go ahead with 2, 4, 10, 11 or 12 new plants (depending on the various news articles) ?

And why can’t we have a more sensible policy of investment – in fast-to-grid Renewables ? The Energy and Carbon payback of most developed Renewables is less than 10 years, less time than it takes to build a new nuclear reactor.

Plus : the level of risk : ever seen a wind turbine explode throwing tonnes of toxic substances into the air and spoiling agriculture for hundreds of kilometres for decades ?

Nobody wants to be a nuclear engineer or a nuclear safety inspector. It’s history…

Media Lens Message Board: Nuclear Shambles : Ed Miliband vows nuclear power is safe !

November 12, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 1, business and costs, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radioactive, wastes