Green light for UK nuke programme

**DimPrawn** · 11 October 2011, 10:58

Brilliant news for the foreign govts and companies that own all our utility companies I'm sure.

**TimberWolf** · 11 October 2011, 11:00

It's a shame the UK can't do something radical and get thorium reactors working and sold worldwide. Fusion is too far off to bother with in sales terms and I'm not convinced it could compete with thorium on cost even if it was made to work.

Sadly it looks as if the Indians will be doing thorium first, and they've got oodles and oodles of thorium.

**TimberWolf** · 11 October 2011, 11:04

Originally posted by DimPrawn View Post

Brilliant news for the foreign govts and companies that own all our utility companies I'm sure.

Yep, that's France's banks bailed out.

**Troll** · 11 October 2011, 11:06

Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post

It's a shame the UK can't do something radical and get thorium reactors working and sold worldwide. Fusion is too far off to bother with in sales terms and I'm not convinced it could compete with thorium on cost even if it was made to work.

Sadly it looks as if the Indians will be doing thorium first, and they've got oodles and oodles of thorium.

I've been looking into thorium reactors recently & especially the concept of micro reactors fer me shed...

errr.... it may all be bolloxs and being used as a smokescreen to allow uranium reactors to continue

discuss....

**Troll** · 11 October 2011, 11:16

Originally posted by TimberWolf View Post

BBC News - Green light for UK nuke programme
Can't get greener than that. Except maybe luminous glow-in-the-dark green.

My old man used to work for the Nuclear Industry in the UK when the current crop were being designed and built.
I recall him returning home fuming about a meeting he'd been at where he wanted safeguards against earthquakes/ tremors to be included in the design - IIRC effectively floating the core & containment vessel to allow ground movement - this was vetoed due to the UK not being in an area of seismic activity

Whenever I hear any report that dismisses something that happens somewhere else on the planet as could not happen here or described as "a once in 150 year event" I know safety has been compromised

**TimberWolf** · 11 October 2011, 11:19

Originally posted by Troll View Post

My old man used to work for the Nuclear Industry in the UK when the current crop were being designed and built.
I recall him returning home fuming about a meeting he'd been at where he wanted safeguards against earthquakes/ tremors to be included in the design - IIRC effectively floating the core & containment vessel to allow ground movement - this was vetoed due to the UK not being in an area of seismic activity

Whenever I hear any report that dismisses something that happens somewhere else on the planet as could not happen here or described as "a once in 150 year event" I know safety has been compromised

Thorium reactors are safer theoretically because they go out if left unattended. Rather than boom.

Green light for UK nuke programme