Nuclear - v - Renewable

RJC

Here's a thought:

The reason why we could never run/manage a nuclear power plant in this country is because we just don't do systems well. I mean, we are good at building things but rubblish at running them.

Our health service is a good example. Build the hospital and employ the staff - no problem. Cure people within a budget - you must be joking.

We are a bit feckless and whether it is a post-colonial thing or not I don't know but if given an option between going out the front door ant turning right or going out the back and turning left we'll always go for the opposite of what we're told to do - they might achieve the same thing but we can't resist doing the opposite.

Personally, I tend to avoid anybody who cheerleads for either option - i.e. renewable or nuclear. Extremists are rarely correct and 'moderation in all things' is probably a better approach.

bbam

RJC wrote: »

We are a bit feckless and whether it is a post-colonial thing or not I don't know but if given an option between going out the front door ant turning right or going out the back and turning left we'll always go for the opposite of what we're told to do - they might achieve the same thing but we can't resist doing the opposite.

I wouldn't agree.... I've worked in some heavily regulated areas in technical fields and we have the ability to do this type of work we just need more overseeing than others...

Our technicians/engineers have a flair for circumventing problems which way outstrips those I've worked with from Germany or America, I beleive their military backgrounds makes them better followers than innovators..

Anyway... once the power interconnector to GB is completed we essentially will be a nuclear state, we'll be consuming power generated in nuclear power stations :rolleyes:

RJC

I agree about the oversight -

I mean, we do well in the pharma industry and we can follow the rules about making microchips but if left alone we tend to make a bit of a balls up of it.


I agree about the interconnector as well.

HP44

I'm all for nuclear energy. France produces something like 75% of all it's energy from domestic nuclear power stations. It has very little reliance on foreign sources like Russia who use their gas supplies as a political bargaining too.
France's safety record on nuclear power is also impeccable.

In Ireland we need to look at this example of France, and of the examples of Scandinavian countries, and realise that nuclear power is a safe and viable investment that can meet our growing energy needs. I'd still prefer to see solely green energy as we have a lot of potential with windfarms, but nuclear energy would be a step in a positive direction.

A serious debate needs to happen in Ireland.

The reason why we could never run/manage a nuclear power plant in this country is because we just don't do systems well. I mean, we are good at building things but rubblish at running them.

I agree that we'd never pull this off ourselves since for a project of this scale, it goes without saying anyway that we'd need external help given our lack of expertise in this area. The CEO of ESB said himself last year, that if Ireland was to go nuclear, that we'd likely need to be hooked up to the UK system via interconnectors as opposed to building our own plants.

TalkToEU: John

Interesting topic.
Most focus in this area from the EU is more so about regulation and safety as opposed to providing funding like in the case of green energy.

The EU has little say in member states' nuclear policies as it remains for each Member State to decide whether or not to rely on nuclear power for the generation of electricity.

Nuclear engery is a popular choice within the EU though with 148 reactors spread over 15 EU Member States. Nuclear power contributes to about 15% of Europe’s electricity. Decisions to construct new or replace existing nuclear power plants have been taken in Bulgaria, Finland, France and Slovakia. Firm plans are underway in Romania and the United Kingdom and other EU countries, including the Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands. Lithuania together with Estonia and Latvia, as well as Poland, are also considering new nuclear power plants.

If Ireland was to take the decision to invest in nuclear energy there would certainly be no shortage of expertise within the EU to contract out the building and running of any nuclear plants. The EU is also working to harmonise and simplify licensing requirements and procedures surrounding nuclear energy so hopefully in the future cross border nuclear initiatives between member states in the future would be less restrictive and caught up in red tape and bureaucracy.

More info

RJC

Don't get me wrong, I'm not proud of our inability to not run things but I think that until we wake up as a nation and collectively address this we will curse ourselves to a future of reliance on others.

But if you look into your soul you know that not only do we not do systems (i.e. running things/maintenance, whatever you want to call it) we don't even think about it.

Consider the following:

Build the roads but don't maintain them

Produce drinking water but don't maintain the supply network

Buy and sell gas but don't manage the leakage

Employ staff for hospitals but don't link it to outcomes for patient

and on
and on
and on.

I mean, I'm sure the other countries in Europe have the same things to consider but to me, this lack of systems is the real reason nuclear in Ireland is a bad idea and not because of CND/3 eyed fish/renewable energy bods (delete as appropriate)