Anytime anyone uses the term 'energy independence', correct them to 'strategic energy interdependence'.
Anytime anyone uses the term ‘energy independence’, correct them to ‘strategic energy interdependence’.Energy independence is one of those phrases that’s casually thrown around that gets right up my nose. In the 21st Century, it’s a meaningless concept. Vast amounts of energy cross borders constantly, just as iPhones, cars, and jelly beans do. Further, it’s frequently used in arguments against renewables, as if oil, gas, and coal are somehow magically different.
But this summer’s European energy crisis is about more than just Russia’s gas. After Fukushima and it’s likely, Germany looked at the amazing growth of renewables, the very strong grid reliability that they were maintaining, and decided that it was finally time to let nuclear go. It closed some reactors immediately, and scheduled more for additional closure.
Older reactors require increasing amounts of maintenance. A variety of critical components degrade due to heat and radiation, and must be replaced. Various forms of steel embrittlement are a concern that must be monitored. And maintenance on reactors is a big deal. It’s not like driving your car in for an oil change. Standard maintenance is scheduled years in advance.
However, that problem with aging reactors I mentioned is kicking the French fleet’s butt. A group of France’s reactors, the N4 series, has experienced unexpected corrosion on critical pipes. That’s taken another 12 reactors offline unexpectedly this year. 30 of France’s 56 reactors are currently offline, some of them due to deferred work from 2020 and 2021, and over a third is unplanned due to corrosion.
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