Earthquake (8.9magnitude) & Tsunami hits Tokyo

GDB2222

globalds wrote: »

This is the part of the piece that looks like it will spread further and last longer than the radiation




Gas prices rose in Europe today.

Tokyo is on a rolling power shut off for the foreseeable future...Business won't like that and will pay to get what it needs ..Meaning prices will rise.

There is the other very important question ...Can Japan afford this disaster.

That's about the one thing that did not seem all that scary to me. At the moment, they have a 6% reduction in generating capacity, with that likely to go down to 2-3% once the undamaged reactors come back on line. Don't they have that as spare capacity?

globalds

As a counter to my link to a blog yesterday that seemed to offer an overly optimistic view , I will post a link to another blog.

This one seems slightly more alarming.

http://blogs.nature.com/news/thegreatbeyond/2011/03/update_fukushima_unit_2_and_un.html

That's about the one thing that did not seem all that scary to me. At the moment, they have a 6% reduction in generating capacity, with that likely to go down to 2-3% once the undamaged reactors come back on line. Don't they have that as spare capacity?

I can only assume that the actual reduction in generation is much higher.

Almost every nuclear plant on Honshu must have shut down due to the shaking.
I have no idea how long the check and restart procedure takes.
Maybe fossil fuel power plants have been knocked off the grid ?

here is a map I found

vivatifosi

I caught a nuclear "expert" on the news before I left for work this morning. He said that Japan has a structure that uses nuclear fuel with gas plants to meet additional demand peaks and that the Japanese will be able to run more power through the gas fired plants - providing they are not damaged - to help reinstate power, though capacity will remain down.

He also said that one of the reactors at the plant where three are in trouble was due to be decomissioned in Feb anyway as it was an old plant, and that one of the newer plants was so good that not only was it not impacted by the earthquake/tsunami, but 300 local people felt it was the safest place to shelter.

Generali

I wonder how much of the problem is due to the grid itself getting knocked over rather than the power stations themselves. I would assume it's rather quicker to restring a piece of copper across the country than it is to repair/replace destroyed power plants.

Degenerate

GDB2222 wrote: »

From the bbc reports. So, the Japanese think they have meltdown.

A meltdown isn't the end of the world, though. The significance of meltdown has been exaggerated to create a popular myth of impending doom.

StevieJ

From the Motley Fool.

BBC SPORT: Japan confirm planned football matches to go ahead.

BBC SPORT SCOTLAND: Inverness match against Celtic postponed due to waterlogged pitch.

http://boards.fool.co.uk/you-couldnt-make-it-up-12208615.aspx?sort=postdate

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Degenerate wrote: »

A meltdown isn't the end of the world, though. The significance of meltdown has been exaggerated to create a popular myth of impending doom.

I guess it just depends on how the wind is blowing & where you are on the planet....

Mr_Mumble

Explosion at the no.2 reactor now

globalds

Well you know what they say..

It never rains but it pours.

Just what Japan didn't need .

A volcano has erupted in Japan, compounding the problems in the disaster-ravaged country.
Following Friday's megaquake and resulting tsunami which took the lives of thousands along the east coast, the Shinmoedake volcano in south-western Japan erupted yesterday, sending ash and rock over two miles into the air.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1366109/Japan-volcano-Earthquake-tsunami-potential-nuclear-meltdown-enough.html#ixzz1GcPRDXs5

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Mr_Mumble wrote: »

Explosion at the no.2 reactor now

They are foooked now