Hooded Horse Wikis
Nuclear power plant
Nuclear Power Plants are the most powerful power plants in-game, with just the single reactor producing over 4500MWh of electricity. There are 2 types of nuclear reactors in-game, single and twin nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors need nuclear fuel, which is very expensive to produce, and they take a long time and resources to be constructed. Both nuclear power plants need cooling towers, with the twin nuclear reactor needing 2 cooling towers. Cooling towers must be located within 1350m of the nuclear reactor facility, this being the maximum distance of the cooling pipes.
Fueling & Operation
Nuclear reactors require nuclear fuel to operate, which is one of, if not the most expensive resource to produce in the game. Nuclear power plants consume up to 0.04 tons of fuel for single reactors and 0.08 tons of fuel for double reactors at maximum production. Nuclear fuel and nuclear waste are stored in casks of 0.2 tons and can store up to 3 tons (15 casks) of fuel at the plant.
Nuclear power plants also require workers and engineers (workers with higher education) present at the same time to function.
While a nuclear power plant operates, it also generates pollution small amounts of area radioactivity. This is 9 tons of pollution a year for single reactors, and 14.2 tons of pollution a year for twin reactors. Operational radiation spread is slow, but after some time can reach populated parts of your city if built too close.
Waste
Producing electricity with nuclear power plants, like their real-life counterparts, produces nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is generated in a 2:1 ratio, for every 2 tons of fuel, 1 ton of nuclear waste is produced. Nuclear waste, like fuel, is stored in casks of 0.2 tons. At maximum production, a single reactor power plant will generate one cask of nuclear waste every 10 minutes, and a twin reactor power plant will generate one cask of nuclear waste every 5 minutes. But usually it will take longer, due to the frequent fluctuations in power demand.
Up to 40 casks of nuclear waste can be stored at the power plant. Radioactive contamination will begin after about 20 casks are stored at the power plant. After plant storage fills up, other than the contamination, it will stop functioning, therefore nuclear waste must be moved to a space for vehicles/containers, storing at which also releases radiation, or it must be exported. Exporting usually costs the player money, starting at -1100 Rubles/-1400 Dollars per ton.
Nuclear waste should be transported away from the power plant and away from your population centers, as storing large quantities of nuclear waste in one place can cause radiation contamination. Unless the player chooses to export the waste, it is best to build a permanent storage location far outside of your cities.
Accidents & Contamination
Nuclear power plants, like other buildings, can catch on fire when building fires are enabled. When nuclear power plants catch on fire, there is a slow release of radiation beginning almost immediately, which spreads as the fire goes on. Because of this, it is best to put out the fire as soon as possible to limit radiation spread and save the building. Nuclear power plants can catch fire when no workers or even fuel is present in the building, and radiation is still released.
Radiation from accidents does not spread uniformly or in any pre-defined shape, instead, it spreads at random, with a few small "hotspots" of high radiation being possible too. It is possible for radiation to spread to over 1000 meters away from the power plant. Even a small amount of radiation can significantly negatively affect the health of your citizens.
Notes
- Both reactor building designs are based off of the real life RBMK reactor buildings, like the infamous Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant
- Both reactor types need cooling towers. Although their real-life counterparts usually did not have cooling towers, some RBMK reactors did, like the cancelled Units 5 and 6 at Chernobyl.
- Nuclear Power Plant fires in game have a unique green fire.
