SIZEWELL C

[Bugtownboy]

Think it’s a relevant place to post this - an update on HPC from a local news site. M

https://www.bridgwatermercury.co.uk/new ... ridgwater/

[Mr Gus]

We r phucked for the sales of contractual investment percentile!? Profit (from minority investments made then)!?

[dan_b]

oh guess what, the Government has delayed the decision on Sizewell C by another 2 months!

https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/civi ... 6-05-2022/

[AE-NMidlands]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... r-to-build:

Sizewell C ‘may cost double government estimates and take five years longer to build’
Research into costs of proposed Suffolk power station could further inflame debate over UK nuclear power

Ministers will decide in July whether to approve the development of the Suffolk power station proposed by the French developer EDF. The business department has estimated that the government-backed scheme will add an extra £1 a month to household bills to aid construction costs.

But research by the University of Greenwich Business School seen by the Guardian shows the average monthly cost could reach £2.12, or £25.40 a year. At its costliest point, the build could cost taxpayers nearly £4 a month. That represents the study’s gloomiest forecast, which predicts construction would take 17 years and cost £43.8bn.

The project had been expected to cost £20bn and take 10-12 years to build. Stephen Thomas, a professor at Greenwich Business School, said the average forecast put the cost at £35bn over 15 years, or £2.3bn a year.

The figures could further inflame the debate over the cost and time of building power stations after Boris Johnson last month set a target of building a new nuclear station every year.

[ALAN/ALAN D]

Hinkley Point B Nuclear power station will shut down both reactors. One on 01 July and second one on 08th August

[Bugtownboy]

No, there’s consideration to keep HPB operating beyond this year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61633993

[Moxi]

I've read a number of articles saying its closing on time after discussions with the government and others saying its part of an planned fleet operations extension which includes some coal fired units as well.

I guess the reality will surface in due course, not sure how the graphite is holding up at Hinckley nor how their other issues are going so it will be a case of more searching to see if the reactors are able to obtain a safety case extension after all its not up to the government or EDF - ultimately its HM inspector.

Moxi

[ALAN/ALAN D]

EDF, the owner of the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset has ruled out prolonging the lifespan of its project.

https://www.energylivenews.com/2022/05/ ... -says-edf/

[Moxi]

They have completed a statutory outage earlier this year but considering graphite core degradation and the fact that they are still operating at circa 75% of design capacity due to corrosion on the heat shields I doubt they EDF will have the interest to spend millions trying to extend the safety case for a few years just to help out the UK government.

in fact if you are brutal about this its in EDF's interest to continue shutting plants and plunge the UK into darkness so that when they ask to build more reactors the British public will blow out the candles they are using for heat and light and shout "oh yes please please please build many more reactors!"

cynical or enlightened ...........its down to your personal preference, but consider a case from history where billions of pounds were spent by our governments cleaning up the Magnox fuel ponds at Magnox stations and the fuels ponds at Sellafield, as well as all the FED silos (FED=Fuel element debris) which largely came about as an issue because Mrs Thatcher ordered the CEGB to run the magnox fleet at maximum capacity to beat the coal miners strikes of the 70's and 80's, causing fuel elements and debris to build up as the planned reprocessing was overwhelmed and the short term emergency storage facilities (now 30 to 40 years old) built in haste have proven leaky and difficult to access, empty, clean and demolish and thats before we re-package the waste for future long term storage that we still haven't found a place for or started to build.

Never underestimate a politicians willingness to plunge the country into financial servitude for decades in order to get returned for another 5 years!
That said her nemesis was equally vile and power hungry, perhaps we should have locked them both in a cage and let them fight it out - would have been safer and cheaper in the long run.
Moxi

[AE-NMidlands]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-62235221

The government has granted development consent for the new Sizewell C nuclear power plant on the Suffolk coast.
The project, mainly funded by the French energy company EDF, is expected to cost in the region of £20bn.

Ironically the day after the French Govt fully renationalised EDF!

I think it is a mad project. The location is barmy (given the retreating coast, sea-level rise and more storms from global warming) and the money is only justifiable if you have an ulterior motive, like making money out of arranging the financing or arming their police force.

As has been said repeatedly, we could have renewable energy NOW and tons of storage a lot sooner for the same money.