The United Kingdom is getting serious about nuclear energy. They’re doing it smartly.
They’re doing it in an adult fashion unlike other countries like Australia that seem to be stuck in juvenile areas of the 19 sixties. but this is the latest in the Guardian, the UK government is to offer grants of £157,000,000 as part of its launch of a new body to support the nuclear power industry. They are preparing for the next generation of power, and that’s what every country should be doing right now. Forget about relying on renewables. They won’t supply your base load power at night. They won’t supply your base load power when there’s no wind.
Forget about it, batteries won’t fit the bill. Great British Nuclear GBN will be tasked with helping deliver the government’s commitment to provide a quarter of the UK’s electricity from nuclear energy by 2050. See, that’s all we need to do. That’s all you need to do. If you have a willing and operable effective nuclear power industry, you only need to provide a quarter, you will get unreliable power and a lot of it from renewables.
The new body will help drive rapid expansion of nuclear power plants in the UK, boost energy security, and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports at the Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps. You’re actually putting together a competition and making it part of the culture to develop small modular reactors will drive 1,000,000,000 of pounds of investment into the technology which the government hopes will be cheaper and quicker to build, then traditional large nuclear power plants.
If you’ve listened to this program at all, you know the interviews I’ve done on SMRs. And not from the industry, not just from the industry, but also from independent technology experts, and they say that SMRs are the future, both in terms of cost, both in terms of safety.
Environmental Campaigners and academics, have argued that SMRs have no track record, and the time and resources would be better spent on renewables such as more offshore wind. You just can’t convince these people of the obvious. Can you? There’s no c
This is their great bug bear. There’s no CO2. But you’re going to supply baseload power. And on a ratio of power, it leaves renewables back in the dust. The launch at the science museum in London this week was delayed from last week after it clashed with the government’s public sector pay deal announcement.
The government’s previous attempts to attract funding for conventional large reactors have so far only yielded the much delayed and over budget, Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset. They’ve been down this track for large nuclear reactors. doesn’t work, not cost effective. Shapps is expected to announce the winners of the competition in the autumn with a number of manufacturing firms such as Royce, who, of course, are big, big on this in this space. They are big in this space, and they should be applauded for what they’re doing, and Hitachi.
They’re both interested in developing SMRs. And the reason why the price will be achievable is because you’ve got competition. You’ve already got Rolls Royce versus Hitachi. And when you’ve got two major corporations like that vying for the space in SMRs, you can tell they’ll make it as cheap as they possibly can. The government said it was still committed to Hinkley Point C.
And also, size will see a nuclear power plant in Suffolk. that was announced last year and has been backed with £700,000,000 of public funds. But they’re putting together a They’re telling the Rolls Royce’s in the Hartajes of the world, you come up with the best MSR, SMRs, and you will get the tender. And that is the way to do things. That is the way to encourage investment and affordable investment.
This is a big winner, and the UK should be applauded and congratulated for what they’re doing in the nuclear space. It’s fantastic.
Chris Smith
Chris Smith has had a remarkably wide and successful career in media… Starting off in 1981 in rural radio and TV in Moree NSW, Parkes NSW, and Bendigo Victoria, he developed skills in news reporting, presenting bulletins and live sports calling.
Back in the big smoke, he worked as a senior reporter for Seven News and travelled the world covering dramatic events such as the Tienanmen Square massacre, San Francisco earthquake and drug trials throughout Asia.
It was at Channel Nine that Chris not only made his mark as an award-winning reporter with “A Current Affair” but drove the show as it’s Chief of Staff under hosts Jana Wendt, Mike Willesee, Mike Munro and Ray Martin.
He was then poached by French media company “Lagardere” to broadcast from Beijing, as the first westerner to broadcast live in China on China Radio International. He was then elevated to the position of program director and deputy MD China.
On his return to Australia in 2000, he was appointed as Program director and Afternoon Show host at Radio 2GB Sydney…where he was instrumental in reviving a great media brand.
During his 22 years at Macquarie Radio, he took his Afternoon Show to number 1 for no less than 84 surveys…finishing with a commanding 13%.
That success continued when he switched to the weekend morning program for 3 years.
Chris was then contracted to Sky News Australia and hosted “Chris Smith and Friends” and “Chris Smith Tonight” each Sunday night…as well as floating as host for all the other night time current affairs shows.
He’s contributed to both Channel 7’s “Sunrise” program and Channel Nine’s “Today Show” over the past 20 years… and as a current affairs commentator on “Credlin” and “Paul Murray Live”.
Chris is now hosting a global news talkback program on TNTRadio.live, and multi-national broadcaster which has just celebrated its 5 millionth download.
