The nuclear revival the global industry has been hoping for took another hammer blow this week when two reactors under construction in the US state of South Carolina were abandoned, only 40% complete. The cancellation means there are just two new nuclear units under construction in the US, both in Georgia. These are also Westinghouse AP1000s at the existing Vogtle nuclear plant. Southern Company agreed to take over construction of the Vogtle reactors in the aftermath of Westinghouse’s bankruptcy, but that project is also facing delays and overruns. So far, though, construction continues. The repercussions of the decision to abandon the building of the South Carolina reactors will be felt across the Atlantic in the UK, where three reactors of the same design were due to be built in Cumbria in the northwest of England. All big nuclear companies have new designs being constructed on home turf. Their plan has been to demonstrate how well they work and then export them. But this is currently not working anywhere, most spectacularly in Europe, where the French giant EDF is in deep trouble with its flagship design, the even larger 1,600 megawatt pressurised water reactor.
Climate News Network 4th Aug 2017 read more »