Remix.run Logo
newsclues 12 hours ago

Depends on the load, but nuclear isn’t dependent upon batteries or the wind.

fundatus 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

True, but for most places you'll now be dependent on some other country selling you uranium. Which is something many countries are now factoring in into these kind of decisions.

hdgvhicv 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Depends on over provision then. If lowest demand in the grid is 20GW, average 30GW highest demand is 50GW then you need to be able to generate 50GW, despite nuclear costs only being specced assuming they can always find 20GW of customers.

It’s the same problem as wind has where demand and supply are variable.

Nuclear cant scale up in an affordable cost as the first GW is amortised over 8,760 hours a year, but the top 10GW is only needed 50 hours a year. If it’s £8760 to generate 10GW for a year, that means you have to spend £43,800 to be able to cope with a peak of 50GW, but the average demand of 30GW means the average cost is £14,600 - 65% more than the average “base load”