Is it time we went nuclear?

[YellowDog]

"Coal Plants are just as clean as nuclear! "

Mining for coal is dirty work and destroys the the earth. Burning fossil fuels is harmful to the atmosphere and we ain't got much left around NZ.

Nuclear is 'high tech', 'highly efficient', 'clean', and waste is safely contained.

Just don't build one close to earthquake zones!

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Just don't build one close to earthquake zones!

NZ is one big EQ zone

[Hitcher]

Mining for coal is dirty work and destroys the the earth. Burning fossil fuels is harmful to the atmosphere and we ain't got much left around NZ.

Perception rather than reality.

[Swoop]

One of our power stations is already plumbed up for the cooling system.
It was designed for nuke capacity ("in the future") from the outset. One of the few times that NZ has planned ahead.

[merv]

You cannot build a nuclear power plant on or anywhere near a fault line.We would be better off to invest in a plant in Australia,lay a cable,and import power across the ditch. All for nuclear energy myself....

That'd be the way, a decent cable. The Aussies really need nuke power too, with one idea I have of them collecting rain water at the coast and then pumping it uphill with all this power to the inland reservoirs so they can then use the water. The reason I say this is they keep saying "nah dams aren't filling, the rain aint falling in the catchment areas".

[Mikkel]

Second question first:

...

Thanks! I found that interesting and informative.

Your other point: I'm not sure just what you mean about "a power plant that can not graduate their output better than that must be designed pretty poorly". All power turbines, whether hydro Gas Turbine, or thermal have different operating characteristics. Generally the more efficient a turbine is then the narrower will be its operating band.

True, it is about compromise when it comes to turbines. I know the basics but not the details on how to make a thermal power plant.
I was just thinking that it should be possible to make a plant where you could graduate the output in one way or the other while keeping the whole system at operating temperature. E.g. a bank of turbines of different sizes (2, 4, 8, 16, 32... MW each) with the option of running any combination of turbines at once while keeping the inoperational turbines heated to operating temperature.

NZ is one big EQ zone

You should still be able to make a safe nuclear plant. As long as you don't put it right on top of or very close to the fault line itself. The plains of Canterbury, Taranaki, Southland or Northland I guess could fit the bill.

I do believe Japan and California have a couple of nuclear power plants - so NZ should be able to as well then.

[Jantar]

One of our power stations is already plumbed up for the cooling system.
It was designed for nuke capacity ("in the future") from the outset. One of the few times that NZ has planned ahead.

Really? Which one?

[Hitcher]

One of our power stations is already plumbed up for the cooling system.
It was designed for nuke capacity ("in the future") from the outset. One of the few times that NZ has planned ahead.

Fascinating! It's not Huntly, that's for sure. It must be Manapouri!

[Finn]

I'm surprised that Resource Consent hasn't been bought up yet.

[devnull]

Some useful info:
http://www.nmcco.com/education/facts...waste_home.htm

[Jantar]

This article in the TIMES is rellevent. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle3176456.ece

[Swoop]

Really? Which one?

Downstream from Taupo.

I'm surprised that Resource Consent hasn't been bought up yet.

I have already solved that one. Put it in a disused power station like Meremere. "We want to put a power station where we have a power station..."
Done. Next!

[Finn]

This article in the TIMES is rellevent. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle3176456.ece

Excellent article! If I was gay, Clarkson would be the man.

[Jantar]

Downstream from Taupo.!

That wikipedia article refers to Ohakuri. I worked in Ohakuri as an operator from 1979 to 1982 and controlled it as a North Island System Controller from 1986 to 1992. While operating there I wrote the training manuals and standing safety procedures, so I think I know the plant quite well. The cooling water is taken directly off the machine penstocks. Each offtake has a capacity of 100 l/s, giving a combined offtake of 400 l/s or 0.4 cumecs.

A 1000 MW nuclear station has a cooling water requirement of 25 cumecs, so Ohakuri is short by 98.4%.

Ohakuri was commissioned in 1961, but it is a 1953 design. When did the worlds first commercial Nuclear Power station begin operating? June 27th 1954. So New Zealand must have been world leaders.

[Mikkel]

This article in the TIMES is rellevent. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle3176456.ece

Mr. Clarkson is a very funny man! Thanks for that - loved it, this bit had me laughing hard:

Not only is the energy clean but there are other advantages too. The new power plants will be privately run, which means you can buy shares in them and you won’t lose a penny. Because when things are going well you’ll get a dividend, and when they’re not going well you won’t care because you’ll be covered in sulphurous sores and blood will be spurting from where your eyes used to be.