Comment Re:factoid (Score 1) 134
It was a big clusterfuck that should serve as a cautionary tale before spending $1B to build one of these things: no matter what nice language is used in the contracts, the construction contractor and the design firm are going to run the fuck away from any problems you have as an operator after the first criticality. And trying to get them to fix any flaws is going to be a multi-year legal battle where you eat the costs to get the facility generating electricity again, and trying to recoup the loss.
You will own the whole meal, for the lifetime it operates, and then you own the waste until forever even after the revenue is gone and the plant is decommissioned.
In support of your statement, , the plant in South Carolina that was cancelled after a paltry 9 billion dollars that was essentially poured down a shithouse hole, and never generated any power at all, is a case I really really really want the nuc fans to comment on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
The thing was interesting, partly fueled by the disdain for anyone who doesn't fully support nuclear. It was delicious. Untrained uncertified people designed the electrical controls systems, designs that were not signed off by professional qualified engineers, contractors who had no experience in building nuclear plants.
Reactor parts came in manufactured incorrectly, supply chains were by unqualified organizations.
Doesn't give me the warm fuzzies.
The 9.8 Billion dollar estimate in 2009, only nearly tripled to 25 billion in 2017.
And the icing on the cake? The Base Load Review Act Passed in 2007, allowed every cent of the cost to be passed on to South Carolinas customers. So yeah, it was a real scandal. South Carolina Legislators repealed the act in 2018. But the law is the law, and rate hikes for absolutely not one watt/second of power are still taking place. Funny how at one time, electricity was going to be too cheap to meter, now nuclear power electricity can be charged without any supply - sounds like an equation that ends up at infinity.
SCANA executives, CEO Kevin Marsh, and Vice President Stephen Byrne plead guilty to fraud and went to prison. They are also under indictment for securities fraud, and will probable be rewarded with more prison time. Two Westinghouse Execs are also charged with crimes.
Westinghouse vice president, Carl Churchman, pled guilty to lying to federal investigators. He faces up to five years in prison. Another Westinghouse executive, Jeffery A. Benjamin, was indicted for fraud and conspiracy. Fines and fallout aer ongoing. Westinghouse went bankrupt, and the NukeGate scandal is the Biggest Bankruptcy evah in South Carolina.
As I have said, really safe nuclear power generation can be built, But my argument is that the NukeGate scandal supports my thesis that humans cannot.
Nuc fans care to stand up for your plant? Wasn't regulations, wasn't public opposition - until the consumers had to pay the bill for nothing. It was fraud, incompetence, unsafe badly manufactured reactors, and not having other pay the bills. Smacks of contempt.