The UK is already building way overpriced French EPR reactors.
Its my view these activities are part of a greater 'systemic scam'. Much like is normal from the civil service for public capital works projects, charity and NGO's (as is being exposed now in the USA). That is, something that should cost £10Bn, ends up costing £30Bn.
In 2009 the UK government had decided on 11 new nuclear sites they might build on. Usually these were existing sites which were soon going to be expired.
This is a sad state of affairs for me, being continuously pro nuclear for the past 25 years.
I'll be visiting the last 2 of of the 4 remaining AGR's I've not yet been to see in September. At Torness and Hartlepool. The later will close permanently in spring next year. Torness in 2030 I believe.
Back to my point: The US is driving hard their program to get jobs in the US, for better or for worse. Why don't we ask them to build up to 11 new 1800MW stations on these sites. Using their AP1000 generation III+ design. This would complement the French EPR.
And to start immediately - to walk the walk. Rather than just talk the walk. This would create competition between the French and the US for building the components. Obviously a power station in jobs terms is a massive civil works so most of the jobs will be local. But the prestige for America would be great to be leading this program and set up jobs in America for all other nations who tag onto the trend.
The French would be compelled to compete on price in a now free'er market. The power behind the systemic scam also would have to compete freely. Thus making a far more natural price discovery re-appear for new nuclear, reducing the price enormously.
I'd say to below £10Bn per station or about £3 million / MW.
The experts will say "but we don't need that much base load". Well this is largely thanks to renewable energy which pound for pound is enormously expensive when total lifecycle costs are accounted for. Which they never are for political ideological reasons. Particularly where the grid is concerned. With the advent of home batteries and EV cars(also a dreadful subsidy farm) base load can be used all day and night to charge these batteries, when appropriate for the demand. And likewise, the stored battery energy can be sent back to the grid or the home (V2X) when the price is right.
The technology abounds to do all this with great ease. The politics and the scams(same thing?) are all that stands in the way.
For the local suppliers this also helps with power cuts. A battery at home means no more power cuts due to faults, not to mention the total mitigation of blackouts due to a destroyed demand curve thanks to renewables.
See here for more context: Petition: Government to indicate the UK is open to sell itself to the US
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