Chile, planning entry to nuclear capacity, to train "nuclear experts" in France.

[NNadir]

A training deal with France is among the first concrete steps Chile has taken to prepare for decisions on introducing nuclear power through the 2020s.

Recent weeks have seen much progress in the South American nation's plans to prepare itself to seriously consider the use of nuclear energy. On 18 February, Jaime Salas was announced as the head of the Chilean Atomic Energy Commission (Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, CCHEN). Just one week later Salas accompanied Chilean minister of mines and energy Laurence Golborne on an official visit to France and Belgium, taking in the Tihange nuclear power plant...

An early outline for a possible Chilean nuclear program was presented last year by the Nuclear Power Committee of the Professional Association of Engineers of Chile. It is thought that four large nuclear power units of about 1100 MWe each could fit into the grid.

With very dry conditions in the north of the country and few large rivers in the central portion, the report proposed that the nuclear sites could be divided between three sections of Chile's Pacific coast.

One was the Angofasta region, 1400 kilometres north of Santiago, where there is fairly dense population as well as extensive mining activity. Another could be the Coquimbo region, 300 kilometres north of Santiago, where a large power plant could serve the north of the capital's metropolitan area. The third region proposed was El Liberatador, about 200 kilometres south of Santiago, to serve the city as well as mitigate the possible reduction in hydroelectric generation that could be caused by climate change.

The bold is mine.

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN_Chile_prepares_for_nuclear_power_0103111.html">Chile prepares for nuclear power

Each proposed reactor will produce 1100 MWe of electricity.


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/20/936524/-Should-Nuclear-Energy-Be-a-Panacea">The 45 billion Euro Spanish "investment" in solar energy produces the equivalent, in average continuous power, the power output of a 665 MWe power plant of any type, with the obvious caveat that most power plants are reliable, whereas the combined solar infrastructure of Spain is, um, not.

Thus to produce more energy than all of the solar facilities in Spain, any one of the four proposed reactors located in a relatively small building needs to operate at 665/1100 = 60.5% capacity utilization, something it is easy to do, since most nuclear reactors operate at close to 90% capacity utilization or better.

Have a nice day tomorrow.

[txlibdem]

1. I'm glad that Chile and the EU are coming to their senses

Isn't Turkey also planning a couple of reactors?

[NNadir]

2. A couple of couples: Four.

It's an interesting financing deal, as the Russians will build the reactors in Turkey, financing them theirselves, and then sell the Turks the electricity. Turkey will have regulatory authority over the reactors.

[txlibdem]

3. Pretty smart idea on their part

So the Russians are using their oil revenues to build the nuclear reactors: clean power from dirty. I like that idea. Egypt used to have oil and now they are an importer of oil. Had they switched to electric vehicles and built a bevy of nuclear power plants they would be in a far better position today.