Then you need three of them or to refurbish the first one twice to reach the equivalent of a 50 year lifespan. At which point construction costs again smaller than operating costs.
It’s the same thing with steam turbines, they last a long time but not 50 years. So initially they are part of construction costs but eventually they are part of maintenance costs.
Essentially 50 years is used because cooling towers, buildings, plumbing, etc can last at least that long so decommissioning early is a waste. But eventually repair or replacement gets too expensive.
It’s the same thing with steam turbines, they last a long time but not 50 years. So initially they are part of construction costs but eventually they are part of maintenance costs.
Essentially 50 years is used because cooling towers, buildings, plumbing, etc can last at least that long so decommissioning early is a waste. But eventually repair or replacement gets too expensive.