this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2023
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First U.S. nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades enters commercial operation in Georgia::ATLANTA — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.

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[–] icydefiance@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (8 children)

The cost of storing nuclear waste for a running plant is only a few hundred thousand a year; basically just just salary for a few people to transport it to a big hole in the ground.

Decommissioning costs a few hundred million, which sounds like a lot, but for a project that lasts for decades it's basically nothing.

[–] n00dl3@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 year ago (4 children)

You could probably fit all of the nuclear waste America produces in few trucks. It's not as much as people think.

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

The Department estimates that continued operation of the current fleet of nuclear power reactors could ~70,000 metric tons of uranium * increase the total inventory of spent fuel from 70,000 metric tons of uranium to 140,000 metric tons of uranium. Nearly all of this spent fuel is being stored at the reactor sites where it was generated, either submerged in pools of water (wet storage) or in shielded casks (dry storage). The Dept of Energy

Those must be some big fucking trucks. And as far as I know, only Finland has actually developed any long-term storage which could be considered safe.

Nuclear is fine, but nuclear fanboi takes are similar to weed fanbois, it's not a perfect solution.

[–] n00dl3@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 1 year ago

You seem to think a big number means a big pile of green goo. But actually...

All of the used fuel ever produced by the commercial nuclear industry since the late 1950s would cover a whole football field to a height of approximately 10 yards.

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