Q&A ยท 20:16-20:46

Why warships outgrow their electrical generation

Even nuclear-powered carriers come up in a discussion of ships whose electrical needs grew beyond their original generating capacity.

Question

Has any warship built since 1900 still had sufficient electrical generation after thirty years of service?

Short answer

No example comes to mind in the discussion, including nuclear-powered carriers: ships repeatedly need more electrical generation as they age.

Notes

The initial answer finds no post-1900 warship whose electrical generation remained sufficient after thirty years. Nuclear-powered carriers are considered as a possible exception, then rejected because their electrical provision also needed improvement. The conclusion rests on the ships that come to mind during the exchange. It illustrates the difficulty of anticipating electrical demand over a long service life.