nuclear-news

TIDES, NUKES AND BIRDS

Over the years, I’ve been hugely critical of what I call the ‘all of
the above’ brigade – made-up largely of nuclear enthusiasts who don’t
want to be seen trashing renewables in public but are desperate to keep new
nuclear (both big and small) in the mix to meet future electricity demand
here in the UK – even though it’s abundantly clear that nuclear cannot
compete with renewables on cost, construction time or even reliability. We
now have a wonderful opportunity to do a properly rigorous analysis of
‘nuclear vs renewables’ – this time, with the focus on tidal energy
rather than wind or solar as is usually the case. The biggest threat to the
potential for tidal energy on the Severn is the Government’s obsessive
support for nuclear power – including the prospect of a massive new power
station at Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast (with a Final Investment
Decision said to be “imminent”), as well as ‘in principle’ support
for so-called ‘ Small Modular Reactors.’

 Jonathon Porritt 16th April 2025 https://jonathonporritt.com/tidal-energy-severn-estuary-nuclear-vs-nature/

April 19, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ENERGY