Eskom stops nuclear plans

[rpm]

Eskom stops nuclear plans

Power utility Eskom on Friday said that it was "not in a position to invest in nuclear", and has terminated the talks it was holding with global nuclear technology providers Westinghouse and Areva.

 

[Arthur]

If this means no more nuclear in any form then it's a very short-sighted move, in my view. The day will doubtless come when Eskom will rue this decision, making it even more expensive for a future Board to get us on the right track again.

 

[stix]

While i acknowledge the comment above. Our dabbling in untested and untried reactors i cannot help but feel this is the correct decision.

But i guess not much heed has been paid to our contribution to global warming.

 

[Pilgrim]

If this means no more nuclear in any form then it's a very short-sighted move, in my view. The day will doubtless come when Eskom will rue this decision, making it even more expensive for a future Board to get us on the right track again.

Ah, but the cost saving can be put into current Board bonus payouts

 

[pkid]

But what are they going to do now? What is plan B?

 

[cottard]

Plan B: burn more coal, and big performance bonuses for board members.

I know someone working on the PBMR (Pebble-bed modular reactor) and he tells me one of the main hold-ups is that contracts with the engineering firms are time-based, i.e. they get paid by the hour and it takes as long as it takes. That would explain why things seem to be taking so very long. They must have had a very friendly board sign-off on this.

The PBMR is a great idea though, and could bring in lots of foreign currency if we perfect it first (with our German partners that is). But, the Chinese are working on a similar concept and our productivity isn't in the same universe. ;-(

 

[Ypay]

So does this mean that we gona pay less.....

Well we should payless as they are not going foward with the plans......

 

[LoneGunman]

the dangers of pebble bed nuclear reactors have been extensively covered in some old threads here, as well as discussions of the countries which have realized that their dangers arent worth the possible advantages...

given the state of SA, I think nuclear reactors of any sort, are the last thing that should be attempted by the government. Looking at windfarms, solar panels, and tidal current generators would be much much safer - and more idiot-proof.

 

[krycor]

Uhm burning coal isn't going to help when we will run out. If not nuclear maybe a solar + wind farms? karoo is a big place with sun.. but then they likely will just burn coal.. bleh, i guess it signals time to invest in providing your own energy?

 

[lion_fish]

Anything but Nuclear...

Eskom are NOT the people i would like dabbling in Nuclear energy.

They should even shut down Koeburg before the capre flats become a shiny piece of glass north of capetown...

 

[RazedInBlack]

What happened with the pebble bed? Is that still in development? I've heard (from an inside source) they are spending millions on the project, while everyone knows it's going to be a failure.

I also heard about this but that was a couple of years ago. Some French company was involved or something like that.

 

[Abe]

Hold on just long enough to get a whopping increase from NER and then can the projects. Typical.

On the other hand, they can't seem to keep Koeburg running so it's doubtful they can run more of them.

 

[WHATEVER]

Here is a question ... I presume most on here to be of higher intelligence than most ...

... only nuclear power plant ...

If Kouburg (sp?) is the only nucular power plant, then what is Pelendaba Nuclear Facility? If they are not making power (which I believe that are not - but when ever I have asked this question, I have been told that it does supply power) then what exactly are they making?

War heads? Only 40kays from Joburg ... Nice!

 

[killadoob]

If this means no more nuclear in any form then it's a very short-sighted move, in my view. The day will doubtless come when Eskom will rue this decision, making it even more expensive for a future Board to get us on the right track again.

They must abandon it i think, we are another Chernobyl waiting to happen.

 

[Captain Slog]

Here is a question ... I presume most on here to be of higher intelligence than most ...



If Kouburg (sp?) is the only nucular power plant, then what is Pelendaba Nuclear Facility? If they are not making power (which I believe that are not - but when ever I have asked this question, I have been told that it does supply power) then what exactly are they making?

War heads? Only 40kays from Joburg ... Nice!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelindaba

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction

 

[Claymore]

They must abandon it i think, we are another Chernobyl waiting to happen.

Read up on Chernobyl - that was a scary incident. A terrible reactor design (no containment shell!), and multiple levels of safety bypassed by people who weren't even supposed to be doing the scheduled tests.

And yet...they ran the other three Chernobyl reactors for years afterward. The last was only shut down in 2000.

 

[gpe]

If this means no more nuclear in any form then it's a very short-sighted move, in my view. The day will doubtless come when Eskom will rue this decision, making it even more expensive for a future Board to get us on the right track again.

I agree.

I'm all for nuclear and although its good to shop-around for better deals (reactors) we don't really have time to spare with increased energy demands.

 

[rwenzori]

They must abandon it i think, we are another Chernobyl waiting to happen.

Agreed. ESKOM have already amply demonstrated their incompetence, and they should be kept far away from any new nuclear playpens.

 

[Alan]

The thought of these backward morons building more nuke power plants is scary but then the Soviet Union had dozens of them along with the Chinese and their incompetence, corruption and sheer disregard for safety only resulted in one admittedly large accident in 50 years

If I had the choice of living down the road from Koeberg running the risk of being exposed to radiation if there was an accident compared to the **** pumped out by the factories here in PMB every day I think I'd take my chances with Koeberg.

 

[rwenzori]

The thought of these backward morons building more nuke power plants is scary but then the Soviet Union had dozens of them along with the Chinese and their incompetence, corruption and sheer disregard for safety only resulted in one admittedly large accident in 50 years

Don't forget Mayak:

In the past 45 years, about half a million people in the region have been irradiated in one or more of the incidents, exposing some of them to more than 20 times the radiation suffered by the Chernobyl disaster victims.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayak

and the nearby Lake Karachay:

According to a report by the Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute on nuclear waste, Karachay is the "most polluted spot" on Earth.

If Lake Karachay's radioactive load leaks into the Arctic Ocean, one of the planet's last great wildernesses, it could travel halfway across the globe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Karachay

EDIT: It's probably only a matter of time until the Chinese pour melamine into one of their reactors, causing it to blow!