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Comment by nikhilsimha | Hacker News Reader

France?

Or China, which built an AP1000 in nine years [1], about as long as it takes us to NEPA a transmission line [2]. Given about half of that was waiting for a reactor-coolant pump, it can likely be done in 5.

[1] https://spectrum.ieee.org/a-double-first-in-china-for-advanc...

[2] https://www.utilitydive.com/news/transmission-clean-energy-s...

Withdrawn

> impossible to draw any conclusion from a successful big project abroad

Wait, we can draw conclusions from France building a different reactor (but only its latest ones, which were most expensive) but not from China building an AP1000?

Withdrawn

> China's economy is a black box

We can independently verify the plant was built. And we can confirm what Westinghouse was paid. We can’t see other costs incurred, which is why I’m solely citing them for time, not cost.

According to this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_Fran...

the last time France put a new nuclear reactor online was over 20 years ago.

There was probably a window where we could have powered our grids with nuclear and done well with that versus the alternatives. A bunch of factors, including lobbying by fossil fuel interests, meant that didn't happen. These days that same lobbying and other factors are fighting against solar+wind+hydro but hopefully this time it's unstoppable. The fact that solar and wind are distributed and don't have extreme tail risks helps a lot. Nuclear was too easy to stop because of the extremely complex projects and very unlikely but very high magnitude risks.

France was on the renewables train until last year. They've since changed course and are reinvesting massively into nuclear.

Macron calls for nuclear 'renaissance' to end the France's reliance on fossil fuels

https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/02/11/macron-calls-for-n...

This is not just talk

France's Assemblée Nationale adopts 'nuclear acceleration' bill on first reading

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/france/article/2023/03/21/france-s...

402 votes in favor, 130 against. 75% approval. So broad consensus.

p.s.: Doesn't mean they are stopping renewables entirely. Still doing some off-shore wind that can be brought online relatively quickly.

Coasting on old nuclear. They’ve been importing renewables from Germany due to reduced capacity factor. The fleet is a money pit.

https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/embattled-edf...

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20230105-how-france-s-pri...

Old news, a one time occurrence in 2022 when they scheduled a lot of inspections and maintenance they had put off in the COVID years. At that point the long underinvestment caught up with them.

In 2023, they were net exporting again, like they were in the last 20+ years or so.

But you are right that they had been coasting and were exploiting their nuclear plants without reinvesting.

That has now changed.

...renationalized EDF because it's so unprofitable, can't build a single reactor on time and on budget and has to subsidize every Watt sold with taxpayer money, so people don't go on the street and burn Cities down.

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