How China became the king of new nuclear power, and how the U.S. is trying to stage a comeback
How China became the king of new nuclear power, and how the U.S. is trying to stage a comeback
China is the current king of new nuclear power construction. The US is attempting to launch a comeback, but its still unknown whether that will be successful.
China has 21 nuclear reactors under construction which will have a capacity for generating more than 21 gigawatts of electricity, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. That is two and a half times more nuclear reactors under construction than any other country.
I love that China is not planning to power all future demand with more coal and gas.
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Our aversion to nuclear energy PR wise has been a disaster. It’s very difficult for the general public to fully buy into nuclear power with all the misinformation spread about it. Hope we start to slowly veer back towards it.
But it's not the general public who is averse to nuclear, they're as a whole, probably more in favour of it. The current Swedish governmrnt campaigned on it. It's nuclear companies themselves who don't want it. Which is partially why Sweden suddenly and quietly scrapped their plans.
It's nuclear companies themselves who don't want it.
Wait what why?
It's not profitable. For example, in Sweden, the companies involved aren't interested. There was talk of EDF being restructured a couple of years back separating the unprofitable nuclear away from their other businesses (until state bailout and investment). Their CFO resigned over their decision to carry on building UK's latest nuclear powerplant. The Conservatives only pushed through the UK's next nuclear powerplant only after giving EDF assurances and ability to start taking in profits before the completion of the project.
This is what it takes to build nuclear. A lot of state money... Whereas renewables are cheaper, easier, and faster to decarbonise.