Quote:
Originally Posted by billdan
The UK shut down all it’s coal-fired power stations last year -
Yes, but they have 15 Nuclear Power Plants with 6 new Plants coming on line in the next decade or so, this type of clean power was rejected decades ago in Australia.
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Because it is much more expensive than digging up the coal from our mines and dumping it in a furnace. Look at the conveyor belt transport system that feeds coal from the Hunter Valley mines directly to the two major power stations near Singleton. Cheap because of the mine and power station proximity, and it operates efficiently at low cost.
I am not a fan of coal fired plants, but on any argument they are the cheapest source of power for Australia -because we built infrastructure around them long ago. Startup costs for nuclear will be massive, who pays? It means your electricity cost goes up.
There has been some discussion around putting nuclear power plants near end of life coal generator, like the Eraring coal fired generator on Lake Macquarie; this has big advantages because all the grid connection infrastructure is already there, a is substantial land and buildings: But of course no one wants to live near a nuclear plant, so residents will scream.