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September 22, 2009 You are here: Home» Energy Fossil» IEO Outlook » China Coal» CCS» Renewables » Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Goes Green? Who'd Have
Thought!
The former US President G. Bush at a renewable energy
conference in Oct. 2006 at St. Louis, said, " Nuclear power is
renewable." Uranium is not renewable, and the mining of uranium is a very polluting industry. Nuclear waste needs thousands of years of storage requirements. Neither coal nor nuclear can be considered renewable or clean, when compared to the emissions or wastes from energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
Fear of repeat of nuclear plant accident like that of Three Mile Island in 1979 and the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 hampered the construction of new nuclear plants in many countries. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded in the Soviet Union in 1986, subsequent fires sent nuclear radiations into the atmosphere over an extensive geographical area. The radioactive fallout was 400 times more than from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It was the worst nuclear plant disaster in modern history. Subsequent radioactive contaminations were extensive. Over 300 000 people were evacuated, and many are still suffering from long lasting genetic defects. Everything local and nearby, from health to agriculture was contaminated. Agriculture and dairy products, water resources were declared unsafe for and bans were imposed from worldwide. Cover-up made by the relevant authorities made it difficult to assess death and damages. The overall cost of the disaster is estimated at US$200 billion. The accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 nuclear power plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania, on March 28, 1979, was the most serious in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, though no deaths, injuries or hazard casualties were detected. The accident was caused by a combination of
personnel error, design deficiencies, and component failures. It has
permanently changed the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC). Public fear and distrust have led to NRC's broader
and more robust regulations, more careful scrutiny and analysis on
management of the nuclear plants. This in turn has reduced the risk
to public health and safety. Having languished for decades, nuclear energy’s prospects are improving in the urgent quest for other cleaner, greener energies options.
The
World Nuclear Association projected that, global nuclear plant set
up will reach one per every 5 days by 2015 with 1000MW capacity; as compared to one every
17 day since 1980. This is with special reference to the
developing countries especially China ( 2% ) and India (3%), experiencing their
rapid economic growth. In 2008, the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) predicted that nuclear
power capacity could double by 2030, though that would not be enough
to increase nuclear's share of electricity generation. According to
IAEA, the top 10 countries with the highest nuclear share of
total electricity generation are all located in the European
countries. France, for instance, generates 76% of its
electricity from nuclear.
What is the rationale behind the nuclear power comeback? Nuclear power offers significant emission reduction over coal. Every 22 tonnes of uranium used gives 1 Mte emissions reduction. Taking a lifecycle view, nuclear has a lower carbon footprint than hydro and other renewables. Nuclear power is considered a base load power source, as its output is nearly constant.
Nuclear plants have low incremental fuel cost, and so are run at
full output and achieve a 90% capacity factor. The
1973 oil crisis had a significant effect on countries which had been
relying heavily on oil to switch to other alternatives like going
nuclear.
Despite the above credentials, the most feared aspects of nuclear power generation, of course, lies in the apprehension of radioactive leakage and the thorny issue of nuclear waste disposal. Even the slightest leakage can cause long lasting detrimental genetic impacts for generations! So far there is no technology to come up with a long term safe disposal or storage.
Hence, the
World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) was founded in 1989 after the
Chernobyl accident. It is an
international organization aimed at fostering international cooperation and
professional excellence within the nuclear industry. Every organization that operates a nuclear generating station is a WANO member.
Through WANO, maximum safety and reliability level of the operation is ensured by exchange of information via communication and comparison.
There are signs that concerns about global
climate change are beginning to affect the world fuel mix. In recent
years, many countries have begun to express new interest in
expanding their use of non-carbon-emitting nuclear power, in part to
stem the growth of greenhouse gas emissions. The IEO2008
reference case projection for electricity generation from nuclear
power in 2030 is almost 4% higher than the IEO2007
projection, which in turn is 10% higher than the IEO2006
projection.
The changes reflect a generally more favorable perception of nuclear power as an alternative to carbon-producing fossil fuels for electricity generation. However, in the pursuit of nuclear energy as an option to fossil and renewable fuels, the numerous issues related to risks need to be tackled. These include lack of trained personnel and capability in handling the technology, the risk of mishandling and theft of radioactive nuclear material, the problem with radioactive waste disposal and the health hazards that could arise from exposure to radioactive nuclear material such as cancer and birth defects
References and related news:
International
Energy Outlook 2008 You are here: Home» Energy Fossil» IEO Outlook » China Coal» CCS» Renewables » Nuclear Energy
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