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1. idontwantthis · 1790784321 · focus · HN ↗

   A nuclear power plant is essentially a coal power plant with free fuel. Today, if you literally built a coal power plant with free fuel it would not be cheaper than solar. My question: If you built a small modular coal power plant, would that be cheaper than solar? It necessarily has to be cheaper than nuclear.

   1. legulere · 1790786018 · focus · HN ↗

      Uranium mining, milling, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication are all not free.

      Because of protection from radioactive radiation, you have higher costs handling anything in a nuclear reactor compared to a coal plant. Then you have the issue of runaway nuclear reactions, hydrogen buildup etc.

      1. idontwantthis · 1790786897 · focus · HN ↗

         See reply above. That's my point.

         By "free" I mean that you need so little fuel over the lifetime of the reactor the cost is negligible compared to all the other extensive costs of building and managing the plant.

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