Thread: UK nuclear plans 'put energy in French hands'Government plans for nuclear power risk
View Single Post
Old 15-03-2012, 15:05   #57
Tim Deegan
cf.mega poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Services: 3 phone lines, 100mb broadband, and TV x2 (including one Tivo)
Posts: 2,128
Tim Deegan has reached the bronze age
Tim Deegan has reached the bronze ageTim Deegan has reached the bronze ageTim Deegan has reached the bronze ageTim Deegan has reached the bronze ageTim Deegan has reached the bronze ageTim Deegan has reached the bronze age
Re: UK nuclear plans 'put energy in French hands'Government plans for nuclear power r
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamD View Post
Just did a quick estimate regarding nuclear power and wind turbines

The highest rated nuclear power plants tend to churn out about 1000 megawatts of power

The largest turbine that Vestas make right now, is 7 megawatts (which is actually more powerful than the first nuclear power station ever built (USSR's Obninsk plant, 1954 )

But you'd need 150 large turbines (7mw X 150 = 1050mw), to replace one advanced gas-cooled reactor.

EDF Energy has 8 reactors in the UK with a total output of 7000mw

You would need 1000 of the largest wind turbines with ideal conditions, to meet that level of power. Yikes

I'm all for renewables, but until the technology has a major breakthrough, it isn't really feasible to depend on it right now.

Given how densely populated this country is, perhaps another idea might be to tell people to stop having kids for a few years.

But naw, I think they should open new nuclear stations, but the fast breeder variety, so we can use the waste we have stored, as fuel.

The future however, will probably be fusion power, IF they can make it work.

Source - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power
There must be well over 1000 wind turbines already. They seem to be off every coast, and on the top of many hills.

The risk is still far too high to build more nuclear power stations, so I still think the best clean option is Geothermal.

---------- Post added at 15:05 ---------- Previous post was at 15:04 ----------

Quote:
Originally Posted by nomadking View Post
You can build 100s of millions of wind turbines and if the wind is to low or TOO HIGH, then they are completely useless. Even if the wind is at the right level, it has to be consistently at the right level, 100% of the time, otherwise again they are completely useless.
They have variable pitch blades, so there is a very wide wind speed range.
Tim Deegan is offline   Reply With Quote