Most coal plants are young: more than half are less than 14 years old.
investing in larger scale, when the potential returns are low.would be hugely detrimental.. May be the middle ground is more representative of the real situation.
that companies face,.though in reality there is a mix.This graph paints the picture that scale has.
The model does not consider that smaller scale can be made more efficient through step changes in automation which are already being developed.it does not account for the fact that making a larger number of repeat units itself leverages economies of scale and the unit price for small scale could well reduce over time.
This is the dream of new nuclear, where the aim is that smaller multiple units will deliver both a time and cost improvement..
The conclusion for me is that scale absolutely matters and it needs to be carefully and thoroughly considered.The steam created in the energy production process is recycled into the atmosphere and the relatively small amount of fuel that is needed to provide the required energy can be stored safely.
We do need to ensure our long-term solutions for storing spent fuel are fit for purpose, but we will only have the time to worry about that if we tackle the immediate climate crisis.. As such, although nuclear energy itself isn’t technically renewable, we can be confident of the fact that it is a flexible, clean energy source already known to complement renewables well, and which can be used to create a reliable power grid.. 8.Flexible, advanced reactors sit alongside wind and solar in markets with high penetrations of renewables, and can enable similarly high penetrations of variable renewables in future energy systems.
Together, renewables plus advanced nuclear (with thermal energy storage) can reduce emissions and improve performance in future electricity grids, lowering overall system cost.. 9.Current and emerging advanced heat sources (new generation nuclear reactors) can do more than just provide reliable, clean electricity.