You can totally retrofit existing nuclear power plants for closed loop cooling. I'm not sure what the cost would be, though, but it might be worth doing.
Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
11–20 of 252 posts
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#12Earlier quoted context omitted.
People arguing for one alternative over the other are usually politically motivated. I feel like you are doing the same. Sometimes nuclear is a good fit, sometimes renewables is a good fit, sometimes fossil fuels are a good fit. Most of the time a mix is the best fit. It depends on what you are optimizing for and what is geographically, (geo)politically and economically possible. All these systems are then built usin…
I'm not really opposed to nuclear power politically. I just think it's a non-starter given the much higher cost, complexity of buildout and lack of reliability.
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#13Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not really opposed to nuclear power politically. I just think it's a non-starter given the much higher cost, complexity of buildout and lack of reliability.
In countries with dark winters and without enough hydro power, the only reliable alternative are fossil fuels...
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#14This is happening all across Europe right now - Romania, France too. https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/07/13/france-shuts-do... https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/hungarys-paks-nuclea... We keep having folks here argue that nuclear, not renewables are the path to take to get rid of fossil fuels. I have strong doubts - it feels like that doesn't account for the sad realities of climate change.
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#15This is happening all across Europe right now - Romania, France too. https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/07/13/france-shuts-do... https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/hungarys-paks-nuclea... We keep having folks here argue that nuclear, not renewables are the path to take to get rid of fossil fuels. I have strong doubts - it feels like that doesn't account for the sad realities of climate change.
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not really opposed to nuclear power politically. I just think it's a non-starter given the much higher cost, complexity of buildout and lack of reliability.
In countries with dark winters and without enough hydro power, the only reliable alternative are fossil fuels...
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
In countries with dark winters and without enough hydro power, the only reliable alternative are fossil fuels...
Iceland has no nuclear power plants.
Iceland has geothermal, which is amazing, but won't help central Europe.
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#18Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#19Earlier quoted context omitted.
In countries with dark winters and without enough hydro power, the only reliable alternative are fossil fuels...
Iceland has no nuclear power plants.
About 85 percent of the total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources. Use of abundant hydroelectric and geothermal power has made Iceland the world's largest electricity producer per capita.
~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IcelandWhat works for Iceland works in few other places to the same degree (New Zealand, Yellowstone, places with thin crust and feisty caldera's).
Re: Danube's record low levels force shutdown of Hungary's only nuclear plant
#20This is what nuclear power enthusists like to ignore when they talk about nuclear power being a solution to energy and climate change.