nuclear-news

$26 million just to find out how much 2 nuclear reactors might cost

TORONTO – It’s like giving the cashier at Tim Hortons a penny to find out how much a cup of coffee costs.CNews 11 July 12,
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has agreed to pay two prospective reactor builders $26 million to come up with an estimate on how much two new nuclear reactors at the Darlington Generating Station would cost, Energy Minister Chris Bentley told a Queen’s Park committee
Wednesday.

“They reached an agreement with them to prepare the various proposals and estimates, and although I am advised that the specific price between the two is commercially sensitive – they had negotiations with each – the ballpark total price for the two is less than $26 million,”
Bentley said in response to a question from New Democrat energy critic Peter Tabuns.

The two firms – SNC-Lavalin’s now-striking Candu Energy Inc. and Westinghouse – have up to 14 months to deliver their cost estimates, which are expected to be at least $10 billion for two 1,000 megawatt reactors.

At those prices, the Tim Hortons analogy would mean the cup of coffee
costs about $1,500….. “If Westinghouse and SNC-Lavalin reactors are
cost-effective, why are Ontario ratepayers being forced to subsidize
their marketing costs?” Greenpeace nuclear analyst Shawn-Patrick
Stensil asked.

“Both the need and affordability of new reactors should be
independently reviewed before this project goes any further.”
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/07/11/19976116.html

July 12, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, Canada