"... no corrosion other than surface rust ..."
Scientists, engineers and chemists report a small amount of surface rust but accountants, lawyers and PR report that there is none.
Who wins?
Abandoned in 2017, a pair of incomplete South Carolina nuclear reactors may get a new lease on life due to the growing need to power AI datacenters. The VC Summer nuclear power plant in Jenkinsville houses a single reactor that came online in 1984, and two additional units that began construction in 2013 before being abandoned …
Depends on the type of rust.
Yes, there are different types, forming under different conditions, with some being easy to remove and others being quite damaging.
Surface rust sounds like the common 'orange' or red rust: Powdery, and brushes off easily. Doesn't cause much damage to the metal. So not really a concern. Indeed: That kind of rust would be expected and stuff just needs cleaning and polishing.
Yes, Civil engineers deliberately allow rebar to rust before brushing off the excess and putting the rebar into concrete: It helps with adhesion. Black, flaking rust, however: That's bad news.
> Who wins?
Those who are FAR FAR away from that plant when it starts. Other side of pond preferred (where I am). "A bit of rust" is not so funny when I see those USCSB videos. It is the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board - I love those videos. Now imagine those with nuclear reactors.
Tech giants sink billions of dollars into completing these nuclear projects, the AI bubble bursts, and there's a ton of nuclear infrastructure available for practical uses. However, since we live in the stupidest timeline, a more likely outcome is that regulatory capture prevents proper oversight of the construction and operation of these plants, and we see a nuclear catastrophe within 5 years of them going online.
"If the neutrons are too fast you need a lot more plute. They escape far too soon from a smaller piece."
And this is exactly what you will get when 'Cheap-Reactors 'R' Us' does a quick refurb and sells them to the latest 'AI' startup* trying to get a lead on the big names !!!
*Sirius Cybernetics Corp ('AI' Division) has to start somewhere I guess !!!
:)
These plants were abandoned because presumably they were uneconomical to supply electricity. What makes them economically viable now?
Have AI datacentres pushed the needle of electricity cost to such a point that completing an abandoned nuclear power station is worthwhile? If that's true, why doesn't a third-party electricity supplier simply complete the project, and then sell the energy to the grid or anyone who will buy it?
Speculating, but: "delays and contractor bankruptcy" caused initial abandonment of the project, but that was 7-8 years ago.
Since then, there may have been changes in the local energy supply and demand - other older power plants may have shut down, other industries may already have moved in, pushing up power demand and thus the price of electricity.
Political altitudes may also have changed - could be that there was opposition to nuclear power in the area 8 years ago that made some contractors that might have taken over the job reluctant to get involved, but altitudes have now changed.
I suspect most likely it's just that the expansion in data centres, plus general increase in demand for electricity, has led to a realisation that new power stations are required, leading to various companies looking to see how they can get a lot of additional power generation operating as quickly as possible - which is a roundabout way of saying, you are probably right - in practice, once completed, these power stations will sell power to whoever wants to buy it.
I think part of those stored parts made it to Vogtle 3 and 4. If they are looking for a buyer, who will want to sink 25 billion in it, Southern Co/Nuclear? Not sure their customers want to pay any more at this point. No general contractor is going to do a hard bid, it's going to be T&M. Probably Bechtel for the General but maybe not. It may not even get that far but we could use more nukes!!! The power is needed and the AP 1000 works.
Nuke plants are bought and refurbishment begins.
Within five years AI bubble pops and plants are half completed. Projects abandoned. Lots of money burned. Prices to customers go up.
Some wits decide at least one or two should be completed anyway. Prices to customers keep going up.
5 more years and plants found to have serious flaws and massive financial fraud. Prices to customers go up again.
5 more years and plants completed, but unable to operate at full capacity due to some of the previous flaws not corrected and never will be. Price... well, you should know by now.
Tech and fin tech douche bros announce newest shiny plan! Everyone forgets previous debacle.
I've seen this movie. Many times. Many, many goddamn times.
Aside from operator error a lot of the problems and many of the additional unforeseen costs running nukes at least in the colonies has been done to construction.
For the most part construction companies in the US are used to bodging things together to save costs and unfortunately nukes are particularly sensitive to this.
Maybe the US should hire the French as they seem to be able to setup reactors for everyone and even have a workable disposal method.