Hurricane-hit Puerto Rico to consider nuclear power

[Marlin]

Hurricane-hit Puerto Rico to consider nuclear power


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Hurricane-hit-Puerto-Rico-to-consider-nuclear-powe

[Chimera]

But the power grid would still be their weak spot.

[Marlin]

But the power grid would still be their weak spot.

True but an SMR compared to the windmills and solar panels would give it a solid base. If this happens I suspect it will be a decade or two away.

[Marlin]

   Puerto Rico's legislature has passed a bill calling for an investigation into the possibility of building nuclear power plants on the island by 37 votes to 1. Resolution 1189 orders the Government Commission of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico to carry out an investigation into whether Puerto Rico should use nuclear power plants to produce energy and to look into "new modular technologies" for the design and operation of nuclear plants.

[TVA]

Never happen

[TechSuper]

The issues in Puerto Rico with their above ground energy distribution is the same as here in the 48.  Utilities are not willing to spend the dollars to install underground distribution that is moisture/water probative.  Therefore anytime a hurricane comes across the pond with any wind speed the lines come down and power distribution dies.  Granted their energy generation capabilities are sub-par for their needs and SMRs certainly would be a huge benefit, as long as they are constructed at sufficiently high elevations to prevent flooding issues. But until the US wakes up and realizes that the construction, licensing, and operation of nuclear power facilities can be done at a much lower cost factor if the large profit business is taken out of it, then we will never see a cost effective nuclear design. Hell our government regulation and control are cost affecting for nuclear construction how can we reduce cost to the constructors and operators. Our government doesn't even know that nuclear power is part of the Department of Energy.

[Marlin]

Hell our government regulation and control are cost affecting for nuclear construction how can we reduce cost to the constructors and operators. Our government doesn't even know that nuclear power is part of the Department of Energy.

    I don't disagree but recent articles that I have read seem to imply that mismanagement of new constructions are a bigger factor. That may be the main benefit for SMRs that are being designed by non traditional companies.

[GLW]

earthquake risk will sink puerto rico nukes,....


also feeds the arguement for keeping utilities above ground,...


https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1497362829336-7831a863fd9c5490379b28409d541efe/FEMAP-366_2017.pdf

[Marlin]

earthquake risk will sink puerto rico nukes,....


also feeds the arguement for keeping utilities above ground,...


https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1497362829336-7831a863fd9c5490379b28409d541efe/FEMAP-366_2017.pdf

Earthquakes topple buildings not basements.  Most plants I have been to have significant portions of the building underground so I am not sure how this would apply as long as it is not on the fault lines of which it has none. Of course there are the trenches off shore.

[GLW]

Earthquakes topple buildings not basements.  Most plants I have been to have significant portions of the building underground so I am not sure how this would apply as long as it is not on the fault lines of which it has none. Of course there are the trenches off shore.

Table 3-1 of the .pdf,....

public perception is that Puerto Rico is an earthquake waiting to happen,....

a BIG earthquake,....

if you expect public perception to not matter then revisit the FLEX response to beyond-design-basis external event,...

then consider that IF someone is going to build nuke power capability then maybe that massive earthquake survivability should not be considered as BDBEE but should be the design basis,....

because if I wanted to stop a nuke in PR that's part of how I would lobby against it,....

[Marlin]

Table 3-1 of the .pdf,....

public perception is that Puerto Rico is an earthquake waiting to happen,....

a BIG earthquake,....

if you expect public perception to not matter then revisit the FLEX response to beyond-design-basis external event,...

then consider that IF someone is going to build nuke power capability then maybe that massive earthquake survivability should not be considered as BDBEE but should be the design basis,....

because if I wanted to stop a nuke in PR that's part of how I would lobby against it,....

So you think it will not be built for anticipated hazards? I would think that damage incurred on your cited table has a lot to do with current and past building standards. Loss of the infrastructure after the hurricane was in large part due to the poor condition of it. I do not think a reactor would have the same problems.

[GLW]

So you think it will not be built for anticipated hazards?,....

I think it will not be built due to public opinion, public perception and anti-nuke intervention,....

[Marlin]

I think it will not be built due to public opinion, public perception and anti-nuke intervention,....

A territory that saw pictures or solar panels and windmills broken and scattered may not be so anti-nuke now, demonstrated by the desire to explore the nuclear option. Not hard to make a comparison to the nukes in storms paths that survived on Con-US over the last few years.