Re:Why Germans remain so jittery about nuclear power
by croes on Tuesday January 11, 2022 @07:12AM
(#29890577)
Yes, and the built it to withstand and earthquake or a tsunami, unfortunately not both.
Because heavy earthquakes in Germany are unlikely the standards for german nuclear power plants aren't planned to withstand one because the planning is accordingly to the dangers of the location.
And that is the problem. We are building something that has to last decades if not centuries and if we miss something the damage is severe.
For example before satellite imagery ships were built according to the normal distribution of waves which said large waves are rare, freak waves nearly impossible.
Stories about freak waves were even often dismissed as exaggeration or sailor's yarn.
Nowadays we know freak waves happen a lot more often as we thought and ships are built accordingly but older ships have problems if a freak wave shows up or they simply sink.
Because heavy earthquakes in Germany are unlikely the standards for german nuclear power plants aren't planned to withstand one because the planning is accordingly to the dangers of the location.
And that is the problem. We are building something that has to last decades if not centuries and if we miss something the damage is severe.
For example before satellite imagery ships were built according to the normal distribution of waves which said large waves are rare, freak waves nearly impossible. Stories about freak waves were even often dismissed as exaggeration or sailor's yarn. Nowadays we know freak waves happen a lot more often as we thought and ships are built accordingly but older ships have problems if a freak wave shows up or they simply sink.