this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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I don't know about that some of the new gen 4 reactors that are starting to come out effectively tackle a lot of the downsides like cost or the need to store waste.
I don't think a 100% nuclear solution is a good idea but it sounds like it'll have its place in a future national energy portfolio for a lot of countries.
It is expensive to run, has the same sort of issues with fuel procurement from potentially hostile countries as fossil fuels, has waste storage issues and takes ages to build. Cooling is also very vulnerable to droughts in the water sources used for it. There really aren't many arguments in its favour.
That's specifically why I said gen 4 reactors. They can take a broader array of fuel, recycle high level radioactive waste into energy, and are capable of being built as small modular tractors shortening cost and time for production. Additionally they also can use less water than existing light water reactors.
They do have the benefits of using a low amount of space, offering consistency regardless of environmental factors, having a longer service life, and being very efficient.