Germany: Nuclear power plants to close by 2022

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   John Holdenposted 12 years ago

   Germany at least sees sense;-
   
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13592208

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   Muldanianmanposted 12 years ago

   I wish the UK would follow this example.  Several more are to be built in this country.  To have so many nuclear power plants on a small island is very dangerous.  Just considering what has happened in Japan makes me fear for something similar happening in the UK.  Because we are so small, where would be all go if a nuclear accident were to happen.  On the other hand, what alternatives are there.  Coal power stations make too much greenhouse gases, there is not enough room for wind farms, which are unpopular anyway because of their appearance in the landscape.

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      John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well there is clean burn coal fired plant now.
      But the most obvious on an island where nowhere is more than 70 miles from the sea is tide generation.
      That is constant as well, the tide never rests.

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         C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         "tide generation" I NEVER hear much about this in the news. I have read about it though and it seems quite feesible.

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   Bard of Elyposted 12 years ago

   Well, that's a bit of good news but what about all the others all over the planet? I wish they'd close them all down!

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   CHRIS57posted 12 years ago

   Living in Germany i would want to see this happen a little more slowly. I live in a coastal area which can support itself from wind energy to the extent of 50%. But at the same time our county exported 35 times the amount of electricity to industrial areas around, to Hamburg and Bremen - produced by a nuclear power plant nearby.
   
   That plant is old, built in the early 70ties and one of those already shut down.
   
   There is not much else in Germany than utilizing wind energy and to a much lesser degree photovoltaic. Not many water energy ressources, not many energy storage reservoirs and no grid to bring electricity to where it is needed.
   
   There are many things to invent and develop: grid, energy storage, not to forget power generation. It takes between 500 to 1000 of the new generation 5 MW wind turbines to replace a single nuclear power plant. And what do you do at night when wind calms down and no sun is shining for the photovoltaic?
   
   I think it is a very agressive decision. It will cost a fortune and will collect payback only from the next decade on when fossile energy will show signs of exhaustion.
   I stand behind the decision. It opens plenty of opportunities. Only - give it 5 more years

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   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   I read in a news articles today that 3 of Japan's nuclear power plants went into melt down - they'd always denied that during the worst of their crisis. I just feed so bad for their people. This is why I think the risk of nuclear meltdown is too high, no matter how cheap the electricity produced is.
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13598607

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      John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      When you take into account the cost of storing spent fuel it isn't even cheap.

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         C.J. Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         You can always sell the material to third world....OH YEA....NEVERMIND!

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      psycheskinnerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think anyone paying attention new it was a partial (not complete) meltdown from the isotopes being produced--no matter what the officials said.

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         John Holdenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Well that's OK then.

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   CHRIS57posted 12 years ago

   Nuclear power plants are base load plants. They run day and night at 100%. It is not easy to shut them down (as was demonstrated fatefully in Fukushima).
   Last year the first incidents of negative electricity pricing were recorded at the Leipzig energy exchange.
   What had happened was simply that strong coastal winds had jumped power output of the wind turbines to peak level. Within a short period of time too much electricity was in the grid. So power was given away for free along with a little cash. That was negative pricing.
   By shutting down nuclear plants the grid will be relieved from overload. This gives an explanation for taking immediate action in shutting down a first chunk of nuclear plants. This explanation has the advantage of being purely rational, with no political or green sentiments behind.

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   dutchman1951posted 12 years ago

   The Plants are becoming very outdated and run down, to expensive to operate. Germany is trying to be pro-active I think.

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