Bulgaria building a 2,000 MW power plant

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

The European nations have signed on to a program wherein they "decarbonize," so the Bulgarians are planning yet another huge nuke plant, to come on-line in 2035.  At 2000 MW, it will likely displace so-called "renewables" including wind machines.  What is interesting is that the plants could use cheap natural gas to heat the water to steam, or burn it directly in a gas turbine installation as is done in Crimea  (using Siemens machines), but instead have opted to go with a nuclear reactor to produce the steam.   I suspect this is a result of their views of instability in gas supply, which presumably would be sourced either from Russia, a State viewed with antipathy for its military adventurism and land-grabbing, or from Egypt or Cyprus via either Greece or Turkey.   I think the Bulgarians are smart, they are insulating themselves from the aggressive politics and abuses their neighbors have this history of dishing out. Perhaps the tidbit where the plant will crowd out wind and solar is a result the anti-carbon stalwarts had not quite anticipated!  

[BenFranklin'sSpectacles + 762]

On 4/9/2020 at 4:45 AM, Jan van Eck said:

The European nations have signed on to a program wherein they "decarbonize," so the Bulgarians are planning yet another huge nuke plant, to come on-line in 2035.  At 2000 MW, it will likely displace so-called "renewables" including wind machines.  What is interesting is that the plants could use cheap natural gas to heat the water to steam, or burn it directly in a gas turbine installation as is done in Crimea  (using Siemens machines), but instead have opted to go with a nuclear reactor to produce the steam.   I suspect this is a result of their views of instability in gas supply, which presumably would be sourced either from Russia, a State viewed with antipathy for its military adventurism and land-grabbing, or from Egypt or Cyprus via either Greece or Turkey.   I think the Bulgarians are smart, they are insulating themselves from the aggressive politics and abuses their neighbors have this history of dishing out. Perhaps the tidbit where the plant will crowd out wind and solar is a result the anti-carbon stalwarts had not quite anticipated!  

I find it interesting that while Western nations leap for renewables + natural gas, the less-affluent nations are pursuing coal and nuclear.  Why is that?

[PeterNaCl + 4]

" I find it interesting that while Western nations leap for renewables + natural gas, the less-affluent nations are pursuing coal and nuclear.  Why is that? "

Because Western Europe (Green Germany especially) is affluent and can afford to idle away time and resources on fairy dust and unicorn rainbows to please the liberal arts majors who love windmills and the 'idea' of solar power ... Bulgaria is a grim reality place, where fairies and unicorns are not subsidized. Bulgaria REMEMBERS being at war with the Soviet Union in WW2 and doesn't want to give anyone the key to their national economy as a monopoly gas supplier would come close to having. Come ice age or global meltdown .. their nuclear units will reliably and reasonably generate electricity for their country.

 

[KeyboardWarrior + 527]

Long term nuclear plants outperform gas plants. It takes a decade to catch up, but once all debt is cleared the profits come rolling in.

That is, assuming a bunch of blue hairs don't delay construction and politicians back the fuck off.