Hot air or realistic?

[Scuffers]

don't need 20 nuc's, ~14 decent sized ones would cut it even if we scraped everything else...

Also, one point, you have to have a very large water access for a nuc, like the sea, inland ones are not very practical, unless you can find a way to use the waste heat constructively (and we are talking about a LOT of heat, enough to raise the temp of the sea around torness by a couple of degree's C).

as for who to design/build them, the last government sold off what was left of out nuc industry to Hitachi, all we have left now is the bit of RR that makes the reactors for nuclear subs.

Yes, we should do it ourselves, go into partnership with RR, make the government 49.99% shareholders, let RR manage the business with one previso that no foreign money or contracts can be used.

[robin]

So we should run for election next parliament then? A match made in heaven ... I'll be chancellor, you can be everything else, except we'll leave Tut in charge of the military and we'll get a stooge to be prime minister in case we need a scape goat when it all goes terribly wrong

[woody]

So Suffers, how do RR pay for this? Do they even want to? Do you know much about how their business works? Much hot air in your last post?

[campbell]

Actually I thought the suggestion about partnering with RR was one of the most sensible bits of this thread!

We could put a nukey plant on the site of the Grangemouth Refinery, could we not. Right by the seaside and the place will need cleaned up soon anyway when Ineos bail out after all...

[robin]

So Suffers, how do RR pay for this? Do they even want to? Do you know much about how their business works? Much hot air in your last post?

The point was that the government pay for it by printing money, pretty much. Whoever builds it gets paid for their efforts and whoever runs it doesn't get saddled with the capital costs.

Cheers,
Robin

[woody]

Which isn't mentioned in his post. What confused me is the supposition a private company would want involved in something way outside of their core business for what sounds like reasons of national pride?

[robin]

I think the reason to prefer a UK engineering firm is simply to keep as much of the cash in the UK economy as possible. That said it would clearly be more important to ensure successful outcome than worry about that - mostly because much of the cash needs to be spent on materials and skilled labour which we may not be able to supply. That said, we would soon build the capacity to manufacture our own and the skilled staff required to go along with it in the same way as we have the engineering that surrounds the oil industry at present.

Cheers,
Robin

[Scuffers]

Which isn't mentioned in his post. What confused me is the supposition a private company would want involved in something way outside of their core business for what sounds like reasons of national pride?

Sorry, it was somewhat implied...

(Guess i need to spell it out next time?)

The basic point is whoever puts up the cash, in the long run, we as a country are going to pay for it, and as governments can borrow cash way cheaper than anybody else, and keeping the cash in the UK will help the country, it's kind of a no brainer..

[woody]

Which isn't mentioned in his post. What confused me is the supposition a private company would want involved in something way outside of their core business for what sounds like reasons of national pride?

Sorry, it was somewhat implied...

(Guess i need to spell it out next time?)

The basic point is whoever puts up the cash, in the long run, we as a country are going to pay for it, and as governments can borrow cash way cheaper than anybody else, and keeping the cash in the UK will help the country, it's kind of a no brainer..

Ah, the basic point. So what you've posted is indeed hot air. No one is arguing it's be nice for a UK owned UK backed company to do the work and keep the cash in the UK, but it'd be equally nice to do any number of other unlikely things. Again RR are a private company with shareholders who benefit already from exactly what you talk of already in their core business. I'm questioning the bit about them taking on nuclear when they're already trying to build their interests outside of the UK.

As for the spelling out, assume you're being ironic?

[Scuffers]

Are you trying to be funny?

You do realise that if it was not for government money, RR would have gone to the wall over the RB211?

Their nuclear division only exists because of government money, why should we as a country not leverage such an asset? (It's not like RR have any other customers for nuclear work is it?)

[woody]

No no, you're doing a good enough job for both of us.

So because they were rescued 40ish years ago they should just do whatever they're asked. Really? You're sounding a bit bolshy wrt their IP.

[robin]

I don't think there was ever an implication that RR should be coerced into doing anything? I am sure that should the situation arise where RR might be asked to do this work, RR could quite simply say no if they didn't fancy it.

I can see why there might be disagreement on printing or "borrowing" the £200bn required to build these plants, but I am surprised we're arguing over whether or not RR would be "allowed" to bid for some aspect of the mythical project that will never actually happen ...

One is orders of magnitude more important than the other!

Cheers,
Robin

[woody]

No one is saying coerced. You're right they could say no, that's my point, it is all baseless hypothetical BS, much more so than the report in the OP.

[Scuffers]

I don't think there was ever an implication that RR should be coerced into doing anything? I am sure that should the situation arise where RR might be asked to do this work, RR could quite simply say no if they didn't fancy it.

I can see why there might be disagreement on printing or "borrowing" the £200bn required to build these plants, but I am surprised we're arguing over whether or not RR would be "allowed" to bid for some aspect of the mythical project that will never actually happen ...

One is orders of magnitude more important than the other!

Cheers,
Robin

So, considering when the astute project is done, you think RR would turn down another bit of nuclear work and shut down that division?

And it would not cost £200.bn unless you include the massive profits edf and co have built in on a one off station.

[robin]

I have no idea whether they would or wouldn't turn down the work and I don't think it particularly matters - if you have the cash, somebody will build you a power station, I am sure .

I am sure it will be more than £100bn anyway ... given it's all a fantasy, I don't think it's worth worrying about too much either!

Cheers,
Robin