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**Chris** · 05-10-2012, 15:11

Quite possibly, however IIRC all the proposed sites for new nukes in the UK are next to existing or decommissioned ones anyway, so it's a little moot.

Interestingly, here in Scotland the SNP has ruled out new nuclear power stations because it thinks we can get all our electricity from wind plus base-load from so-called 'clean coal'. However the plans to build a clean coal plant at Hunterston (which, fortuitously, has both a coal import facility and two existing nuclear power stations, so easy connection to the Grid) fell apart at the seams* because clean coal is a myth. Nobody has yet demonstrated that carbon capture can work on a commercial scale.

So, at present, without even a theoretical acceptance that nuclear power will be required to be built in Scotland, the chances are that our energy crisis could be rather worse than the one down south. It might be alleviated slightly by nuclear power coming across the border on the interconnector, of course, but my understanding is that the Grids in Scotland and England are essentially separate so I'm not certain of how much of a power shortage due to insufficient generation within Scotland can be made up by English electricity.

*boom, boom.

05-10-2012, 15:11	#21
Chris Trollsplatter Cable Forum Team Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: North of Watford Services: Humane elimination of all common Internet pests Posts: 38,389	Re: The lights are on... Quite possibly, however IIRC all the proposed sites for new nukes in the UK are next to existing or decommissioned ones anyway, so it's a little moot. Interestingly, here in Scotland the SNP has ruled out new nuclear power stations because it thinks we can get all our electricity from wind plus base-load from so-called 'clean coal'. However the plans to build a clean coal plant at Hunterston (which, fortuitously, has both a coal import facility and two existing nuclear power stations, so easy connection to the Grid) fell apart at the seams* because clean coal is a myth. Nobody has yet demonstrated that carbon capture can work on a commercial scale. So, at present, without even a theoretical acceptance that nuclear power will be required to be built in Scotland, the chances are that our energy crisis could be rather worse than the one down south. It might be alleviated slightly by nuclear power coming across the border on the interconnector, of course, but my understanding is that the Grids in Scotland and England are essentially separate so I'm not certain of how much of a power shortage due to insufficient generation within Scotland can be made up by English electricity. *boom, boom.