Thread

NRC issues first U.S. construction permit for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor

151 points · 191 comments · papa-whisky

testing22321 · 1790741363 · focus · HN ↗
Place your bets now.
Time until first power generated, and actual final total cost.
I’ll go 15 years and $10 Billion.
1. rayiner · 1790770690 · focus · HN ↗
  what is the timeline and cost for 300 MW of solar plus the battery back up to make it 24/7?
  1. testing22321 · 1790775651 · focus · HN ↗
    For fun, Gemini says between 1.1 and 3.8 billion, and 3-5 years.
    That number will decrease every month too.
    borodi · 1790777725 · focus · HN ↗
    The gemini solar project in Nevada is 700 MW power + 4 hours of batteries at 380MW and cost 1.9 billion. Took 2 years and that was in 2022
    mpweiher · 1790850723 · focus · HN ↗
    When looking at costs, you have to also take into account the lifetime of the plants.
    The current US plants are all getting extensions to 80 years of operation, and experts see no problems with going to 100.
    How many times do you have to fully replace the panels in that timeframe?
    How many times the batteries?
    And what about seasonal storage?
    triceratops · 1790873783 · focus · HN ↗
    > How many times do you have to fully replace the panels in that timeframe?
    3 times, assuming current panel lifetimes. The panels will be even cheaper by then and will likely be robotically installed.
    > How many times the batteries?
    Maybe 4 times? Same as the panels; they'll be cheaper and easier to replace.
    Maintaining and upgrading nuclear plants also has a cost. They don't last 100 years for free.
    > And what about seasonal storage?
    Might be unnecessary with enough overbuilding and grid interconnections. Or there might be cheaper storage technologies. Or batteries might become cheap enough that fewer duty cycles for season storage become economical.

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