Global solar power 5 times ahead of nuclear energy in the race for renewables | The report predicts that by around 2025, the cost of battery storage in China will become more affordable than both coal-fired and nuclear power plants.
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/solar-pv-energy-now-5x-nuclear-power
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From the article: n a significant shift in the global energy landscape, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report (WNISR) 2024 reveals that the world’s installed solar PV capacity has now surpassed nuclear energy by almost five times.
This trend underscores the growing dominance of renewable energy sources and raises questions about the future of nuclear power.
Released under the guidance of French nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider, the WNISR highlights several key developments.
The report provides a clear picture of the disparity in growth between solar and nuclear energy.
At the end of June 2024, 408 operational nuclear reactors worldwide were generating 367 GW of power. In contrast, solar PV capacity is estimated to have reached approximately 2 TW by the same time.
While nuclear production saw a slight increase in 2023, it remains below previous levels achieved in 2021 and 2019. “Global nuclear power generation increased by 2.2 percent but stayed below 2021 and 2019,” remarked the report.
The number of operating nuclear units has risen marginally, but the industry is still far from its peak in 2002. The construction of new nuclear reactors is also slowing down.
Notably, the United States, a major nuclear power, has no reactors under construction. The only application for a construction license in the US is for Bill Gates’ Natrium reactor, a small-scale project whose design has not yet been licensed.
Only five new nuclear reactors were switched on last year, while the same number were closed. “In 2023, 5 new nuclear reactors (5 GW) started up and 5 were closed (6 GW), thus a net decline by 1 GW in capacity,” said the researchers in the report.
I can install solar panels on my roof, i cannot install a nuclear reactor in my garage.
is there enough metal on planet earth to sustain the current global population?
The problem with battery storage is the battery life.
No point in putting 2 TW of battery storage to back your solar panels if you have to change them every 5-10 years.
Nuclear powerplants are not only a constant energy source, they can run for multiple decades, France is looking to extend their reactor life to between 60 and 80 years.
A good system would be 50% nuclear(or hydro if feasible) and 50% renewable
I see. That’s why China has over 300 coal power plants in construction or planning.
Well that would be fucking great and insane, if it’s going to be achieved in such a short time.
Mycle Schneider is not a “nuclear consultant”, he is a hack paid mainly by Greenpeace and other anti-nuclear NGOs to discredit nuclear technology. Calling him a “nuclear consultant” is the same as calling Heritage Foundation “climate researchers”.
So take everything he publishes with a ton of salt and expect massive cherrypicking as the base for all his claims.
The one thing I feel like nobody is talking about is rare earth metals for batteries. Do we even have enough on the planet to switch to things like solar? And if we do, how many times can we replace these giant batteries (because they dont last forever) before we run out? And wouldn’t the process of creating all these batteries somewhat offset the reduction in pollution they might bring?
Tbh not surprising considering almost no nation is investing in nuclear and all the money is going into solar
How much battery storage would be needed for the grid to use nothing but solar generation?
Batteries are a dead end. They are non renewable toxic trash that only serves to further reduce the efficiency of already usefully challenged inefficient toxic non renewable solar panels.
And meanwhile the western countries still focusing on old technologies and fossil fuels because corrupt mega corps from the last century are not willing to change or pushing their agenda to corrupt politicians.
“Solar ahead of nuclear in race for renewables!”
Meanwhile nuclear is racing with one foot shot, malnourished and dehydrated, with the other racer’s fans throwing as much garbage as they can at it.
They have been saying this shit for years. It’s like fusion is always only 5 years away
And we have millions of ev cars
Battery packs which sadly due to tech houses can’t use as power