MINING.com (Canada): The nuclear industry: everything is terrible
MINING.COM
The nuclear industry: everything is terrible
Michael Allan McCrae | July 12, 2013
The nuclear renaissance lies in ruins, say authors of industry report because the economics don’t work.
Pointing to the US, lead authors Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013 recall 2009 when 31 new reactors were set to be commsissioned. Today, only four are actually being built.
“Those four are hopelessly uneconomic but proceed because their state legislatures have committed to finish them as long as a dollar remains to be taken from any electric customer’s pocket.”
Far from a renaissance, the authors say the sector is fading.
"The nuclear industry is in decline: The 427 operating reactors are 17 lower than the peak in in 2002, while, the total installed capacity peaked in 2010 at 375 GWe before declining to the current level, which was last seen a decade ago.