Going Nuclear to secure our energy independence is an obvious way to help the country. Not only will it secure our energy needs in the future, it will create massive employment in the engineering, technology, and construction sectors, not to mention the jobs created in support industries. Also, the financial benefits (no need for carbon credits and cheaper electricity) and environmental benefits (low CO2) are huge. Time is up; we must start the move to Nuclear Power now!
Another plus about the Nuclear option is that we have our own Uranium in Donegal, only problem is that our current (green party) minister refuses to allow exploitation of the resource due to Ireland’s anti-nuclear stance.
http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/energy-minister-refuses-licence-to-mine-uranium-1234881.html
It should also be noted that the lead-times for a nuclear generator would probably be in the region of 15 years.
This will start a big argument about where to locate the Nuclear plant. Locating it in Carnsore was impossible in the 1970s. It will be impossible to build it in the East Coast after all the Sellafield Campaigning. And forget about South Leinster/Muster – basically that region is built on agriculture, fishing and tourism. Which leaves the West. Very little power is consumed in the West. So this is uneconomical. Then there is the issue of waste. I think it is better to try tidal, or wind first. If we are to consider Nuclear, then Thorium is a much better… Read more »
Indeed, Thorium is a much nicer option on this front, but some years away from full commercial implementation. It doesn’t have to ‘burn’ plutonium, you can have it fed from an accelerator, but this sounds like a more expensive proposition (though nice due to it’s off at the flick of a switch nature)
Deco,
Chernobyl was cause by two things: fuckwits in the control room, and a fundamentally flawed design.
Fuckwits caused the actual incident, however it would almost certainly have been contained if the design of the reactor housing, the concrete ‘lid’ in particular, had been western.
Agree with OP, see comments in the ‘Energy’ Idea as these are complimentary.