this post was submitted on 15 Oct 2023
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I've never read this sort of description of the amount of energy things produce before. That's very cool.
Pretty staggering statistic, offset by a disappointing lifespan for the entire project. Hopefully engineering in 35 years will have the best of both worlds. Bet you my electricity bill will still be high regardless 🤣
Hey this is a pretty common misconception! Project lifespan here is used like a financial term, not an engineering one. It's cost of initial project + maintainance and other costs, compared to energy generation $ minus energy losses over time from equipment degrading. Infrastructure requires maintenance and replacement, and 35 years here is kind of a "best by" guarantee.
Also, 35 years is actually a pretty long time! From now, that's 2058; looking backwards, that's 1988. Take a look at what wind turbine engineering looked like in 1988 and the difference to modern equipment is enormous. 35 years is a full generation of people: someone 18 today will be 53 when this project needs refurbishment.
This is a really exciting project (I think the article quoted some 5% total energy generation for the UK? That is truly insane) and I don't think that excitement should be outweighed by pretty mundane lifespan number! This much clean energy is awesome, will be present for a long long time, and get recycled and rebuilt when it has run its course.
And of course it's worth noting that it almost sets a precedent. In 35 years it'll be much easier to upgrade the project then it would be to get a new project off the ground 35 years from now, if one hadn't already been initiated at that location. People will be on board with maintaining infrastructure, far more than they will be on board with creating any new infrastructure. Even if functionally the costs end up being the same.