Small modular reactors could complement Irelands wind energy system beautifully.

SMRs (small modular reactors) are another a costly distraction. They are still in development and decades away from deployment at scale. This means that new nuclear is too late for the climate and energy crises. What’s worse, every pound invested in nuclear is a pound not invested in renewables, energy efficiency, storage and grid resilience - investments that would provide a much bigger pay-off.

@ProgressIreland Huge distraction. Deploy what’s proven, cheap and scalable now. Get out of our own bloody way to do so.

To be built, owned and operated by private enterprise, not price regulated, and a wonderful profit making opportunity for the private promoters and private investors on a long term, 30 years or more ahead, basis.

The people running this state are absolute morons and criminals. Nuclear energy was obvious years ago. Such inferior minds are governing the Irish people.

FFG are fooling nobody with the auld look over here shite What about all the builders going out of business lads Nuclear my arse

Who would buy, install, manage and control these hundred or thousands of micro-reactors? Would each contract its own source of uranium or fuel, how would they dispose of N/waste, would there be any planning concerns about placing a few or several in the midst of urban dwelling?

Hinkley Point C is running 20 billion over budget and the UK government has guaranteed price per MWh at more than double the market rate. Now we are going to give Sean and his ilk to build the equivalent of 40 children hospital 🤔 this is a scam.

@dohville Not commercially available or proven yet.

Wrong. They would be base load displacing wind and solar. As in uk

More tech bro bullshit, it will never happen read up on Hinkley Point C that these types also pushed. Oh and where exactly is it going to be built? This is another scheme to transfer tax payers money to the billionaires class. We need to stop these socialism for the Ritch schemes

Yesterday wind generation was just 10% . Badly need clean safe reliable small reactor.

They could. But building a 1/1.5GW traditional reactor would provide solid base load for generations too, let's not focus solely on SMRs.

Why is it that this comes up now, Mehole says Ireland should look into it, then MSM are all over it, when the dogs in the street know it's never going to happen anyway? Stay sharp. I reckon public attention is being deliberately directed away from something else. .

@grok For the capital outlay of a small nuclear reactor, what size of grid scale battery storage could a country get instead? Which of the two would be less of a terrorist target.

I can't see a problem with this....

Smr is not a complimentary power supply. It's a standalone 24/7 base load source. But SMR's have not taken off anywhere.

If there’s gas offshore, build combined cycle power stations, smr’s wouldn’t be ready in 15y…and in between? A combined cycle pp could be ready in a couple of years and provide, 1000-1200MW easily. What’s the point in importing power if we have a fuel in Irish waters?

It's not a viable option, nor a realistic solution to our climate situation

I'd also like to know when I voted for your 'think-tank' to make decisions on behalf of the electorate?

No it wouldn't, it would cause cyclic fatigue to a nuclear plant, like what's happening all plant in the country to facilitate wind. Yes there's advances in the materials that can be used to reduce this fatigue, but it's never zero, & with a nuclear plant there's no compromises.

Finish a children’s hospital first and then we can talk.

Be honest. They don’t exist in the real world outside of Russia and China.

Great to see politicians getting their heads out of the sand about nuclear power.

Ireland relying purely on wind is risky long term because energy demand is only going to explode with AI, data centres and population growth. Small modular reactors could give Ireland stable baseload energy, lower prices over time and reduce dependence on imported fuel and foreign grids. For me, it's a no brainer

Due to poor economy of scale, the costs of electricity would be astronomical ( importation of and transport of uranium and plutonium on non existent rail infrastructure) You can build no problem but we don't have expertise to bury its waste deep in mountains. Which mountains ?

1/"However, nuclear projects are often subsidised by governments, lowering financial costs [7]. Major data centre operators are also showing interest in nuclear power [131], but a viable unsubsidised business case remains uncertain. SMR developers claim modular construction.."

Just one small problem - THEY DON'T EXIST!!

It's a no-brainer for Ireland. Unfortunately, our US & EU masters will never allow us to buy affordable but advanced Chinese technology.

Read this.

How many SME’s are currently in commercial operation outside of test beds in China and Russia?

@IrishinEurVoice I wonder would he support the construction of one in Midleton? I certainly wouldn’t

Why do you think that? Nuclear is good for base load, but wind is complemented by dispatchable generation.

Ha. If the nuclear can cover for when there is no wind the the expensive eyesores are no longer needed.

Sorry,we dont need nuclear,we have gazillions of cubic metres of gas in our reserves that are known!Only the fake green agenda is stopping us,along with our oil reserves which could be exploited & arent!Irish people pay the price for treasonous"govts"they've put up with for years