Reply to: Russia gas shortage

[KimberleyChris]

Just have a WikiPeep

Sheffield Forgemasters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scroll to 'Capabilities'

We could do anything, if it wasn't for politicians.

[zeitghost]

I seem to recall dimly that Sheffield Forgemasters wanted a loan to build a press to make the reactor top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10341119

Naturally, Dave & Co refused this on the grounds that we don't make stuff any more & can buy it all off the French/Germans/Septics/Japanese/Chinese/Indians/Canadians/Elbonians*.

*Delete where applicable.

[KimberleyChris]

No.

Of course not.

We could start building tomorrow. We still have the really big construction firms like Babcocks, Mowlem etc.

A nuclear power station is just a big excavation, concrete pouring and welding job after all, and the reactor itself turns up on-site as a kit.

The issue is...who will be running the show, and where will they place their contracts?

Electricite de France (EDF) pretty well runs the UK nuclear industry now. GEC is now Alstom etc.

Like I said, NNC and the old CEGB were ready to go 15 years ago, and we would already have had Sizewell B-clones running all over the country by now, but now everything is foreign-owned.

[AtW]

Looking forward to that, would be gr8 for my Gazprom investment

How good is it that they got no gaz to supply and become very unreliable partner during winters?

[KimberleyChris]

Well, we do have the skills, but one of the 'prices' of the coalition was that no public money would be used.

The old CEGB would have had them up and running 10 years ago. Sizewell B was the prototype, and the rest were meant to follow.

So they will probably be built (as arranged) mainly by French giant Areva, with minimal involvement from British concerns such as (for example) Sheffield Forgemasters (hence no loan).

We will end up just buying the electricity.

[Troll]

Not a good start - Numeracy Campaign: British teenagers among worst for dropping maths - Telegraph

I'm sure I saw an article about the next gen of nukes that we would have to import all the skilled jobs as there was no native talent around - all had either retired or were maxed out keeping the Magnox's limping on or decommisioning

As long as their Nuclear degree isn't from the Uni of Bangalore we may be OK

[BrilloPad]

Do we still have the skills to build them ourselves?

Not a good start - Numeracy Campaign: British teenagers among worst for dropping maths - Telegraph

[Troll]

Its not a good idea to be at the end of a pipeline when demand all the way down that pipeline is bigger than usual.

Compared with last winter its not even very cold at the moment.

We only get 2% of our gas from the Ruskies (2% too much IMHO)

20% comes from Norway via the Langeled pipeline
35% from shipped LNG
and the rest domestically produced or close sourced

the 35% LNG import is most at risk if the Iranians close off the Straits of Hormuz and the Qatar supply stops


HTH

[BrilloPad]

Do we still have the skills to build them ourselves?

It would certainly take us longer - but we would get there.

Its a pity we don't see these things through. We had the world's first digital exchange. TXE - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . But eventually we ended up buying from Germany.

[Troll]

Hear hear. But isn't it better late than never?

Also I would like them built entirely by Britain. No Froggy interference.

Do we still have the skills to build them ourselves?

[BrilloPad]

The correct time to do that was 15 years ago...

Hear hear. But isn't it better late than never?

Also I would like them built entirely by Britain. No Froggy interference.

[Lockhouse]

About time the UK starting building some coal/nuclear power stations to make sure we are not held to ransom?

The correct time to do that was 15 years ago...

[BrilloPad]

Nah.

The windmills will see us alright.

Honest.

If there were tidal power I would be convinced. But what happens if the wind stops blowing? I suppose we can put some windmills in parliament - enough hot air there to keep the windmills turning.

[eek]

Its not a good idea to be at the end of a pipeline when demand all the way down that pipeline is bigger than usual.

Compared with last winter its not even very cold at the moment.

[BlasterBates]

Looking forward to that, would be gr8 for my Gazprom investment