It’s likely to be another 15 years before small-scale nuclear plants are developed that are fully proven in action. The only available small reactors now to be found are in nuclear submarines.
Having invested massively in wind power, we need backup that can be readily powered up when the wind doesn’t blow and powered down again. Nuclear generators lack that flexibility – they are always on. So nuclear is a poor fit for Ireland’s energy needs.
In Fitzgerald's idiotic scenario (assuming the tweet is a fair précis), first we turn off existing generators then we start building replacements. This, of course, is not the way it is ever done, no matter what the new tech is.
Really pleased to see this. I agree nuclear power is the wrong option, especially in Ireland where we have much better alternatives. I was very active in l970s campaigning against nuclear because of the still unresolved challenge of dealing with the waste.
The first line of the article, 'Nuclear plants are simply too big to be viable in our small electricity market', does not seem to be holding back Slovakia or Slovenia, SMRs are viable options too. 🤦♂️
So he's advocating AGAINST a clean energy transition? Because he doesn't have any alternative to nuclear, but he also doesn't want nuclear to replace fossil fuels That's a boiling hot take (from a global warming perspective) Yikes IrishTimes