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0 pointsdiscordance8mo ago0 comments

It's worth considering total lifecycle use of water (mining, production and operation) for nuclear and solar.

Solar: ~300-800 L/MWh [0]

Nuclear: ~3000 L/MWh [1]

0: https://iea-pvps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Water_Footpr...

1: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1569_web.pdf

0 comments

davemp8mo ago

That’s not really useful information. The nice thing about water is that it’s usually still water after it’s “used”.

The question how much is used for mining slurry or chemical baths.

Those 3000L/MWh might very well be more environmentally friendly than solar because most of it’s used for cooling.

bluefirebrand8mo ago

Water we have plenty of. We can desalinate as much as we need to

NewJazz8mo ago

Build subsurface wells and responsible brine dispersion infrastructure then come back and tell me we can desalinate as much as we need to.

HPsquared8mo ago

If you put the brine back into the sea, and later put the waste water back into the same sea, doesn't it balance out? Also, the sea is pretty big.

1 more reply

aredox8mo ago

Nuclear reactors regularly shut down because the water from the nearby river is already too hot.

https://www.euronews.com/2025/07/02/france-and-switzerland-s...

cbsmith8mo ago

Yeah, but you need energy to desalinate so...

HPsquared8mo ago

How does it compare to ~3000 L/MWh? I assume it's a rounding error.

edit: Desalination uses 4 kWh per cubic metre of water. That is, it would yield 250,000 L/MWh.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointsdiscordance8mo ago0 comments

It's worth considering total lifecycle use of water (mining, production and operation) for nuclear and solar.

Solar: ~300-800 L/MWh [0]

Nuclear: ~3000 L/MWh [1]

0: https://iea-pvps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Water_Footpr...

1: https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/P1569_web.pdf

0 comments

davemp8mo ago

That’s not really useful information. The nice thing about water is that it’s usually still water after it’s “used”.

The question how much is used for mining slurry or chemical baths.

Those 3000L/MWh might very well be more environmentally friendly than solar because most of it’s used for cooling.

bluefirebrand8mo ago

Water we have plenty of. We can desalinate as much as we need to

NewJazz8mo ago

Build subsurface wells and responsible brine dispersion infrastructure then come back and tell me we can desalinate as much as we need to.

HPsquared8mo ago

If you put the brine back into the sea, and later put the waste water back into the same sea, doesn't it balance out? Also, the sea is pretty big.

1 more reply

aredox8mo ago

Nuclear reactors regularly shut down because the water from the nearby river is already too hot.

https://www.euronews.com/2025/07/02/france-and-switzerland-s...

cbsmith8mo ago

Yeah, but you need energy to desalinate so...

HPsquared8mo ago

How does it compare to ~3000 L/MWh? I assume it's a rounding error.

edit: Desalination uses 4 kWh per cubic metre of water. That is, it would yield 250,000 L/MWh.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse