Tale of two MAJOR cost blow outs and the results
Vogtle Nuclear Power (Vogtle 3 & 4 cost over runs 16 billion!)
Vogtle- The plant’s first two reactors, with a combined 2,430 MW of nameplate capacity, began operations in 1987 and 1989. The two new reactors bring Plant Vogtle’s total generating capacity to nearly 5 gigawatts (GW), surpassing the 4,210-MW Palo Verde plant in Arizona and making Vogtle’s four units the largest nuclear power plant in the United States.
Constructionat the two new reactor (Vogtle 3 & 4) sites began in 2009. Originally expected to cost $14 billion and begin commercial operation in 2016 (Vogtle 3) and in 2017 (Vogtle 4), the project ran into significant construction delays and cost overruns. Georgia Power now estimates the total cost of the project to be more than $30billion.
“A third and a fourth reactor wereapproved for construction at Vogtle by the Georgia Public Service Commission in2009, and the third reactor was supposed to start generating power in 2016. Thecost of the third and fourth reactors was originally supposed to be $14 billion.”
Units 1 & 2
Total generating capacity:
~ 2,430 MWAnd
Units 3 & 4
Generating capacity:
~ 2,234 MW
Combined Generating capacity is 4,664MW!30,000,000 mWh per year
Units 1–4 will generate more carbon-free electricity eachyear than any other energy facility currently operating in the US.
For awindfarm to produce the same amount of energy as Plant Vogtle, it would need tocover an area over 1000 square miles.
See PlantVogtle (georgiapower.com)
Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project 2billion to more than 12 Billion
“Snowy 2.0 will provide an additional 2,200megawatts of dispatchable, on-demand generating capacity and approximately350,000 megawatt hours of large-scale storage to the National ElectricityMarket. To provide context, this is enough energy storage to power threemillion homes over the course of a week.” It is expected to befully operational in late 2028, delivering its first power in late 2027 —slightly earlier than the revised deadline of 2029 that was released earlierthis year. From “2017, the renewable energy project had an estimated cost of $2 billion and was expected to deliver its first power in 2021.” To Snowy Hydro expansion hits reset button as costs blow out to $12 billionChances are this is not the end of the cost blow outs!
From “Initial plans for a powerstation at the location were discussed in 1966.[12] Further studies were undertaken in 1980 and 1990.[12] The current project originated as the centrepiece of Malcolm Turnbull's climate change policy in 2017.[13] The original cost of the project was around $2 billion.[14] A feasibility study carried out in 2017 finding the project was bothtechnically and financially feasible.[12] The study was released on 21 December 2017 and foundthe project cost would be between $3.8 and 4.5 billion”
Capacity Comparison
Capacity: Snowy 2.0 will provide an additional 2,200 megawatts of dispatchable, on-demand generating capacity and limitedto approximately 350,000 megawatt-hours
((MWh=2,200 MW×24 hours=52,800 MWh))
Capacity: Vogtle is the largest nuclear power plant in the US, with a total capacity of 4,536 megawatts across its four units
24 hour conversion
((MWh=4,536 MW×24 hours=108,864 MWh))
Vogtle is more than double Snowy 2.0 daily capacity each and every dayfor 24 hours every day!
Land Footprint useSnowy 2 The Snowy 2.0 project involves linking two existing dams,Tantangara and Talbingo, through 27 kilometers of tunnels and building a newunderground power station. Theconstruction footprint will destroy 1,680 hectares, including 1,053 hectares ofnative vegetation, over 95% of which is habitat for threatened fauna,threatened flora, and Threatened Ecological Communities1. Additionally, the powerstation itself will measure 22 meters wide, 50 meters high, and 250 meters long
- Add Surface area of Tantangara Reservoir: 2,117.7 hectares (5,233 acres) and
- Surface area of Talbingo Reservoir: 1,935.5 hectares (4,783 acres)
Giving total projects 5,733.20 hectares (57.332 square kilometers+
Vogtle Nuclear Power
“The site is situated onapproximately 3,000 acres with hundreds of acres replanted with loblolly andnative longleaf pines. Plant Vogtle has management programs that enhance thehabitat for species such as bluebirds, wood ducks, wild turkey and the endangeredred-cockaded woodpecker”
Actual plant size is a several hectares only.
InSummary
Vogtle Nuclear Power 3&4 werepoorly planned with incomplete design and changes to the design of the AP1000 Generation III+ reactor leading to the cost overrun of just over 50%! It iscompleted and running
Snowy 2 was poorly planned with significantengineering failures found.
Snowy 2 has a cost overrun of 500%
Initial plans for a power station at thelocation were discussed in 1966 Snowy 2 really started in 2017 Itmight start in 2028
Sunday play time
