Chernobyl accident
Discussion
pocketspring said:
I was just wondering if anyone remembers, when Chernobyl blew its lid off, if energy prices rose and if so, how much by?
Not sure how many PHers were paying for electricity nearly 40 years ago, but by all accounts people in the West didn't even know it had happened until radiation was detected in Scandinavia, so I'm assuming the Iron Curtain stopped any East/West trading of power as well as most other things.Interesting question..!
Others will know much more about electricity markets back then, but for context the USSR was still behind the Iron Curtain. I would guess that actually the electricity produced by Soviet power stations was only for consumption in the relevant country or across the USSR. I doubt it would have been sold the Western Europe electricity market.
I recall hearing about it as a child (I’d have been about 10) and watching footage of brave people trying to put out the fire in the reactor. I think the radiation fallout landed on high ground in Wales and Cumbria and may well have had an effect on sheep farming.
In fact, come to think of it, I don’t think the U.K. energy market was privatised at that point - I think it came at the end of Thatcher’s reign and was more Major’s work.
Others will know much more about electricity markets back then, but for context the USSR was still behind the Iron Curtain. I would guess that actually the electricity produced by Soviet power stations was only for consumption in the relevant country or across the USSR. I doubt it would have been sold the Western Europe electricity market.
I recall hearing about it as a child (I’d have been about 10) and watching footage of brave people trying to put out the fire in the reactor. I think the radiation fallout landed on high ground in Wales and Cumbria and may well have had an effect on sheep farming.
In fact, come to think of it, I don’t think the U.K. energy market was privatised at that point - I think it came at the end of Thatcher’s reign and was more Major’s work.
OMITN said:
Interesting question..!
Others will know much more about electricity markets back then, but for context the USSR was still behind the Iron Curtain. I would guess that actually the electricity produced by Soviet power stations was only for consumption in the relevant country or across the USSR. I doubt it would have been sold the Western Europe electricity market.
I recall hearing about it as a child (I’d have been about 10) and watching footage of brave people trying to put out the fire in the reactor. I think the radiation fallout landed on high ground in Wales and Cumbria and may well have had an effect on sheep farming.
In fact, come to think of it, I don’t think the U.K. energy market was privatised at that point - I think it came at the end of Thatcher’s reign and was more Major’s work.
I was about 7 at the time. I didn't really understand the accident but certainly remember the news items about the fallout over the Welsh sheep etc. Others will know much more about electricity markets back then, but for context the USSR was still behind the Iron Curtain. I would guess that actually the electricity produced by Soviet power stations was only for consumption in the relevant country or across the USSR. I doubt it would have been sold the Western Europe electricity market.
I recall hearing about it as a child (I’d have been about 10) and watching footage of brave people trying to put out the fire in the reactor. I think the radiation fallout landed on high ground in Wales and Cumbria and may well have had an effect on sheep farming.
In fact, come to think of it, I don’t think the U.K. energy market was privatised at that point - I think it came at the end of Thatcher’s reign and was more Major’s work.
So all the fuel we got back then was self serviced in this country?
eharding said:
pocketspring said:
cheesejunkie said:
What have you done? 
.
Wasn't me, supervisor told someone else to do it. .No change to price. It was a end of commissioning test gone wrong. Unit hadn't exported that much electricity to grid so no harm done in electric supply as it wasn't supplying anyway.
Plus we had loads of coal and oil and in the CEGB whilst we still hadn't quite got the nuclear parts of Heysham Stage 1 and Hartlepool running we were burning £10 notes / graduate trainees to raise steam as it was cheaper than getting an AGR commissioned. Proved true in the case of Dungeness; but to both Heyshams and HRA and TOR live long and prosper ladies whilst your graphite holds out.
Plus we had loads of coal and oil and in the CEGB whilst we still hadn't quite got the nuclear parts of Heysham Stage 1 and Hartlepool running we were burning £10 notes / graduate trainees to raise steam as it was cheaper than getting an AGR commissioned. Proved true in the case of Dungeness; but to both Heyshams and HRA and TOR live long and prosper ladies whilst your graphite holds out.
Slightly off topic but if you get chance to watch the Chernobyl (I think 6 part) dramatisation it’s harrowing what the rescuers went through and how the Russian government responded and tried to cover it up.
I was fortunate (now) to have visited the site a few years back when Kiev was on the cards for a cheap city break. Pripyat. What a place, relatively untouched and decaying since the disaster.
Did it have an impact on fuel bills at the time? I don’t think so as nuclear energy was in its infancy and the authorities were busy cutting female protesters loose from the fence around Greenham Common.
I was fortunate (now) to have visited the site a few years back when Kiev was on the cards for a cheap city break. Pripyat. What a place, relatively untouched and decaying since the disaster.
Did it have an impact on fuel bills at the time? I don’t think so as nuclear energy was in its infancy and the authorities were busy cutting female protesters loose from the fence around Greenham Common.
Armitage.Shanks said:
Slightly off topic but if you get chance to watch the Chernobyl (I think 6 part) dramatisation it’s harrowing what the rescuers went through and how the Russian government responded and tried to cover it up.
I was fortunate (now) to have visited the site a few years back when Kiev was on the cards for a cheap city break. Pripyat. What a place, relatively untouched and decaying since the disaster.
Did it have an impact on fuel bills at the time? I don’t think so as nuclear energy was in its infancy and the authorities were busy cutting female protesters loose from the fence around Greenham Common.
Seen it, a fascinating series if quite eerie. Certainly shows a lot of what people didn't see. I believe the fire uniforms are still locked in the hospital basement?I was fortunate (now) to have visited the site a few years back when Kiev was on the cards for a cheap city break. Pripyat. What a place, relatively untouched and decaying since the disaster.
Did it have an impact on fuel bills at the time? I don’t think so as nuclear energy was in its infancy and the authorities were busy cutting female protesters loose from the fence around Greenham Common.
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