Experience, something you get just after you need it. Which we now have. The issue of decommissioning the old stuff doesn't go away but it does mean that decommissioning the new stuff when the time comes will be a lot more straightforward. As for the huge cost and time taken to build nuclear plants. That is a mixture of bad statistics, poor politics and worse planning. S Korea for example can build a nuclear power plant in about 5-6 years. And with an operating cost per GW of around a third to a half of us. My view is that being shite at something isn't an excuse not to do it. It is a reason to learn how to do it properly. But generally not a widely held view in tje UK these days.

It’s not progressing very fast. And he really needs to clear his garage!

The hidden problem with nuclear, that no one ever talks about, is the vast and open-ended decommissioning costs, which are being covered by government (taxpayers!) because no private company will take the load. It remains an incomplete technology with not even the oldest plants and the waste they produced having yet having gone full cycle.  Have had a few encounters with the decommissioning industry in pumping contexts over the years and all of the problems presented have been excruciatingly difficult due to the original design choices made, terrible operational decisions made for short-term expedience or a combination of both. I’m not a fan, mainly for this reason. Though I’m also not very comfortable with the idea of build a huge new nuclear plant on low, flat ground near the top of a tsunami funnel, against a background of rising sea levels and a known history of tsunami.

My mum despises my dad's car, for almost exactly the same reasons you state above. But she was genuinely happy to see it getting used for the ways he intended.

Hello, since I'm new here, you might be interested in the development of my TR3A over the last 40 years? My wife Birgit and I were looking for a new "used" car in 1984. My wife's work colleague at the time had a lot to do with old cars, furniture and flea market items and suggested we look for a classic car. We really liked the idea and it soon became clear that it had to be an English Vehicle. After delving into the classic vehicle scene and the prices at the time, we chose a Triumph TR3. The search began. We drove all over Germany for half a year, even going to Milan in Italy to find our TR3. We finally found it just 15 km from our home in Frankfurt. There we had the choice between a TR3 and a TR3A, which had just been imported from California. At the time we gave the TR3A priority over the drum-braked TR3 because of its disc brakes. Interested in more? This will be an interesting journey into the past for me too. cheers Rainer

It was the past governments energy plan for the future for small modular nuclear reactors. The problem is they are as yet unproven and everything with nuclear takes decades to come to fruition as there is mountains of red tape. The biggest problem with Nuclear is the initial outlay is mind boggling amount of money, because energy is privatised in the UK any private company needs a higher guaranteed rate for the electricity generated to recoup that initial outlay, so when the new ones come online, they will cost a lot more for us consumers then the existing 70s fleet does. The public perception of nuclear is interesting, I've never worked anywhere safer. Mainly because of the above red tape. Everything is double and triple checked.

Panels including install costs are cheaper than slates now anyway. 450W panels are only £50 each now and are 2m2. GSE trays work out at anther £60 for in roof. So if you are re roofing you would be mad not to fully the roof. I even have a north facing array. It produces only during the summer and produces around 40% what the south facing array produces over the year. However it just all gets exported as we over produce during the summer at 15p a KWh.

There are some packaging issues in a car this small (extra pump, pipes and tank), but a much nicer solution than 2.5" of oil sloshing around under the engine! The dry sump kits are getting properly pricey these days, so this engine looks like being good value with all the stuff included. Let's hope it works......!

Gotta love a dry sump system.  sounds like another positive step in the project.

Alec your term energy density reminded me of what Rolls Royce are doing with both  micro and small modular reactors.    we could have these virtually anywhere and everywhere to help with both local and national electricity supply.  I guess it’s getting past the community fear of nuclear.