Article
Despite numerous setbacks and challenges, some argue the nuclear renaissance is far from dead.
Source: The Energy Industry Times
Article
10.25.17
This article was originally published in the October 2017 issue of The Energy Industry Times.
Early in the 21st century, the term “nuclear renaissance” entered our lexicon. The future of nuclear power looked brighter than ever in the West, as fossil fuel prices rose and concern over global warming grew in the public’s consciousness.
Riding the wave of new-found enthusiasm for nuclear power, plans were made to deploy new units in Europe and in the United States using a new generation of nuclear reactor designs like Areva’s EPR design and Westinghouse’s AP1000. In Europe, construction of the first EPR began in 2005 at Olkiluoto in Finland, followed in 2007 by another EPR unit at Flamanville in France. In the United States, two AP1000 units commenced limited construction at Plant Vogtle (Georgia) in 2008 and two more AP1000 units entered the construction stage in 2013 at the V.C. Summer plant (South Carolina). In the UK, starting in 2008, potential new build projects were identified at sites in Somerset, Wylfa, Moorside, Oldbury and Bradwell.
Fast forward to 2017, and none of the plants mentioned above has generated a single kilowatt of power. Olkiluoto 3 should have entered service in 2009, but it is now projected to be on line sometime toward the end of 2018, a staggering 13 years after construction started and bearing an eye-watering price of €8.5 billion—a cost overrun of €5.3 billion.
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