The Sunday Times reports the go ahead for small nuclear reactors – see https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2017/09/10/go-ahead-for-mini-reactors-as… … this week we had the Greens shouting about the price of wind energy coming down in comparison with nuclear – given lots of air time in the media. This seems to reflect a lowering of subsidies on wind and a high electricity price won by our terrific politicos for the new nuclear power station at Hinckley Point (if it ever gets built). At the moment the politicos appear to be transfixed, caught in the headlights and unable to use common sense and cancel it as it will never be viable as far as the cost of the electricity it produces. It is important to note that nothing the Green Blob have said will lead to cheaper electricity bills. That will only come about if all subsidies are removed from wind and solar – and the politicos get a move on and get fracking (in order to build some gas fired power stations to replace the coal fired power stations they have closed down).
All that is waffle and sludge from politicos – with Joe Bloggs last in the equation. However, we seem to have a new player in the room – and it is nuclear (and completely undermines the nonsense loudly bleated by the Greens last week). The government, it seems, have given permission for the go ahead for the development and tendering of mini nuclear reactors. The Greens, pleased as Punch last week, may be having the smile wiped off their faces – but why is it happening? Well, it seems the government is now well aware that outages are just around the corner. They are not satisfied just with diesel powered generators kicking in when the lights go out – they want a bigger and more robust stand by (and mini nukes fit the bill it seems). In other words, the politicos are well aware blackouts are on the way – which is why they may not have cancelled Hinckley Point. There are a number of big players in the market to build the mini nukes, including Rolls Royce, Hitachi, and Westinghouse. British build mini nukes have the potential to be a great export product – but will it happen (or will it be fudged).
One of the commenters mentions Moltex Energy (which is developing thorium). Does it work? Readers might like to do a bit of searching on this subject and get back to me via the contact email address.