Wind turbines and solar panels won’t supply the base load required
20 September 2021 - 14:41
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
The Chinese national flag is seen in Beijing, China April 29 2020. Picture: REUTERS/THOMAS PETER
The debate about green energy and carbon emissions seems to be heating up along with the planet. A recent article contained a one-line comment about China’s plans mentioning the bête noire of energy production — nuclear power.
While we wax lyrical about wind turbines and solar panels we ignore the uncomfortable fact that these won’t supply the base load required, and that the answer has been looking us in the face for a long time.
China has 49 nuclear units with another 17 under construction and plans to build another 100 by 2035. These will be small modular reactors producing 125MW each. China now produces twice as much electricity as the US.
Once held up as the dirtiest emitter of greenhouse gasses, China is changing fast while the world’s democracies debate and argue about what to do while worrying that it may already be too late.
Bernard Benson Parklands
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by email to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: China sets the example with nuclear
Wind turbines and solar panels won’t supply the base load required
The debate about green energy and carbon emissions seems to be heating up along with the planet. A recent article contained a one-line comment about China’s plans mentioning the bête noire of energy production — nuclear power.
While we wax lyrical about wind turbines and solar panels we ignore the uncomfortable fact that these won’t supply the base load required, and that the answer has been looking us in the face for a long time.
China has 49 nuclear units with another 17 under construction and plans to build another 100 by 2035. These will be small modular reactors producing 125MW each. China now produces twice as much electricity as the US.
Once held up as the dirtiest emitter of greenhouse gasses, China is changing fast while the world’s democracies debate and argue about what to do while worrying that it may already be too late.
Bernard Benson
Parklands
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by email to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Iran draws closer to Russia and China with full membership of SCO
France’s fury over cancelled $66bn submarine order strains relations with allies
Australia defends scrapping of French submarine deal behind diplomatic spat
North Korea fires ballistic missiles as tension mounts
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.