I read with interest the letter in CCN 497 regarding nuclear power.
The problem as I see it is the politicians have their heads buried in the sand, too afraid to lose votes to utilise existing power station electrics and switchyards and save billions of dollars in costs.
The solar panel love story is continuing but not telling the public that these solar panels have only a 20-year life span; that in years to come they will have to spend five or more times as much to replace them.
Nuclear technology is safe these days but the public is generally unable to understand that technology changes and improves except when it comes to buying a new car.
The politicians generally have no concept of electrical engineering power stations but have a vested interest in votes only.
The electrical generators have a very long life span; it’s only the mechanical side, boilers etc, that wear out making a power station shut down.
Nuclear energy would only be utilised to turn water to steam.
The CSIRO would have been told what the government wanted from their investigation into the nuclear question so a report ticked off by the relevant minister who probably signs off on their funding was always going to be made to suit government requirements.
Email, Aug 1
Ken Limby, Terrigal
Jeeze, where do we start with this one? It’s impressive to squeeze so many factually incorrect statements into a few paragraphs.
1: Saying politicians have their heads buried in the sand and are afraid to lose votes. The LNP ran on this platform and lost votes. A lot of votes. Also suggesting politicians must either support or are afraid is a false dichotomy.
2: You cannot simply replace the boilers of coal stations with nuclear reactors and reuse the rest. Nuclear power requires entirely different safety systems and shielding. Retrofitting a coal plant into a nuclear one is not a cheap or easy process. Most existing infrastructure is not compatible with nuclear power requirements.
3: Most solar panels come with warranties of 20–25 years, but that doesn’t mean they stop working after that. Panels typically continue to generate electricity at reduced efficiency of about 85% of original output after 25 years.
4: Stating that nuclear power is safe is an oversimplification and you just need to look not far back in the past to Fukushima for an example.
5: Not all politicians are electrical engineers but luckily enough the government and elected officials have access to a vast array of experts and information on this matter, for instance the CSIRO.
6: Whilst generators can have a long lifespan,there are numerous interdependent systems that wear out or become obsolete.
7: While the end result is producing steam, nuclear plants involve complex physics, radiation control, fuel cycles, and waste handling.
8: The claim that the CSIRO was told to fudge results to suit government policy, implying scientific corruption without any evidence is laughable and conspiratorial. CSIRO is a respected and largely independent scientific body. Accusing it of manipulation without proof is dangerous misinformation.