Siemens to quit nuclear industry

German industrial and engineering conglomerate Siemens is to withdraw entirely from the nuclear industry.

The move is a response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March, chief executive Peter Loescher said.

www.bbc.co.uk...

So first Germany, an industrial powerhouse, turns its back on Nuclear power and now Siemens (a huge company) quits the production of nuclear parts. Is it not time the rest of the world followed this example and give up on this dangerous energy source?

Let’s be clear... most companies simply want to make cash regardless of the risks to others and the fact that it is a corporate giant, who has quit this industry, is even more poignant for me.

Peace



**Sorry if this is in the wrong place... I wasn’t sure if i should but it in fragile earth, breaking news or the Japan forums. Mods please move as you see fit**

but they'll still make stuff that can be used in the nuclear reactors so i doubt its going to affect their bottom line

is there an alternative energy source?

reply to post by Beavers


If they payed enough I am sure they could get some of the out of work people to walk in over sized hampster wheels. Sadly that was not a joke. But what could I say good pay good exercise and benifits can't be beat.

Good news Muck, thanks for the updates.

I would suggest that the German community is fairly well educated and that they understand the risks associated with such technology.

We should pay heed to what decisions they are making.

As much as I would love to believe Siemen's decision is a result of the better side of man and all that, I just can't bring myself to follow that line of thought. I love the fact they are out because they are no small contributor to the industry. If it's legitimate and they hold to it, it should be felt.

I do believe it's about Fukushima alright, but being realistic to what makes corporations tick, I think the liability is what brought a change of heart. Fukushima showed the world that a series of natural disasters and technical errors can lead to liability that extends beyond the GDP of most NATIONS, let alone a company. I wonder if this move will only be the first of other Corps that give up Nuclear business? We can hope.

Well now, this is an interesting decision from a company that big. Though I find this good news in general, I still strongly doubt it means nothing in a bigger scale of events. As they withdraw from the business a new company rises up to have it's piece of the cake. Siemens shareholders won't be that pleased.

I'd be more than curious to know the real reasons behind this major decision. Talking about environmental agenda is most likely just a publicity stunt or something.. There's always more than that.

Well now, this is an interesting decision from a company that big. Though I find this good news in general, I still strongly doubt it means nothing in a bigger scale of events. As they withdraw from the business a new company rises up to have it's piece of the cake. Siemens shareholders won't be that pleased.

I'd be more than curious to know the real reasons behind this major decision. Talking about environmental agenda is most likely just a publicity stunt or something.. There's always more than that.

Myth of cheap nuclear power

Press Release 29 January 2008 Landau

The elimination of the former nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Karlsruhe (WAK) is considerably more expensive than previously estimated.
According to information from members of the southern Palatinate Heinz Schmitt (SPD) and his SPD Colleagues Klaus Hagemann, housekeeper for research in the Bundestag , there costs for the vitrification of radioactive waste are rising by a further € 239 million.
"We get a feel for the first time, how expensive nuclear power really is." Schmitt.
The cost of decommissioning of the Karlsruhe plant increased from an originally planned one billion euros to the sum of 2.2 billion euros now.
Furthermore the cost of over 430 million euros for final disposal would be added once.
These numbers are not the final word, because there are still some uncertainties and risks in the estimate of the costs.
According to Schmitt especially outrageous is the fact that the public sector and not the energy industry had to bear these additional costs.
Responsible for this is the former Federal Minister of Research Prof. Dr. Heinz Riesenhuber (CDU).
He released 15 years ago the energy industry out of their financial responsibility for the nuclear legacy of the CTE, and guaranteed business share of the costs of disposal.
"We have the totally unacceptable situation that the energy industry put away billions in profits while the taxpayer must pay for the backlog." Schmitt said.
The consumer pays twice!
Once again, the myth of cheap nuclear electricity was debunked.

Source

It's time to leave that uneconomical business sector behind us.
It's not cheap, it's not safe.
Well done Siemens

Originally posted by Beavers
is there an alternative energy source?

Thorium.

A new generation of reactors could be fuelled by thorium, seen by its supporters as safer and producing less of a waste problem.

The disaster at the Japanese nuclear plant at Fukushima earlier this year prompted heart-searching in Switzerland and the government announced in May that it planned to phase out all nuclear power generation in Switzerland by 2034.

Swiss nuclear future could hinge on thorium



Kirk Sorensen


Siemens is involved with thorium

And this isn't your father's nuclear industry. Today, there are only a handful of major plant designs, and they’ve been built around the world. Toshiba (Japan: 6502; OTC: TOSBF), which owns the former Westinghouse’s nuclear division, and Siemens (NYSE: SI) are two of the leading players and are doing a lion's share of the work in China and Asia. GE (NYSE: GE) produces a light water reactor that makes up about 33 percent of the US nuclear power plants and is developing a new generation of the old model.


Think Thorium

reply to post by muzzleflash

Good news Muck, thanks for the updates.

I would suggest that the German community is fairly well educated and that they understand the risks associated with such technology.

We should pay heed to what decisions they are making.

No problem muzzleflash, thanks

the Germans are shrewd people and, in my opinion, not the type for knee jerk reactions. The fact that Germany now plans to decommission all of its nuclear plants and seek out alternative way of producing energy speaks volumes about just how dangerous nuclear energy is.


reply to post by derpif

It's time to leave that uneconomical business sector behind us.
It's not cheap, it's not safe.
Well done Siemens

Indeed

The people who brought us the Tesla ship, what will they do.
Siemens what will they do. I should have followed that engineer
who went to Siemens but he was going to do X-Ray work.
There is no power in X-Rays but you do need a Tesla coil to
fire off the tube. And how do you reverse the overunity of the
Tesla ship to draw power from the environment instead of speeding
off at 1000 mph at little energy. Was Tesla right all along and
his time has come.