Nuclear Power

Created by: FenellaMae
Created on: 15-11-19 14:46


	Nuclear Power
	Advantages Highest energy density - this means that it rarely needs to be refuelled. 1kg Uranium fuel yields as much energy as 13 tonnes of coal. Less money spent/emissions released from transport High abundance of uranium fuel exists - great potential as a long-term future energy resource Reactor life - this has been increased in the newer, 3rd generation, reactors from 40+ years to 60+ years 3rd Generation - these reactors also have a more reliable consumption and lower fuel consumption Reliable - the energy supply can be controlled to meet demand and is therefore not intermittent Several potential fuels - thorium is 3x more abundant than uranium, but can be used as a fertile fuel to 'breed' the fissile uranium-233	Disadvantages Environmental - mining and processing of uranium or thorium ore for fuel causes habitat loss, noise and dust pollution as well as turbid drainage water and hazardous wastes like toxic metal leachate High embodied energy - this contributes to climate change as it means that a lot of energy (usually from fossil fuels) is required in manufacture/construction of the power plant due to materials like cement Radioactivity - from radioactive waste and reactor accidents (e.g: Fukushima, 2011) incur health risks such as DNA damage, mutations, cancers Expensive - the total costs of decommissioning have exceeded estimates, and the cost of extracting, concentrating and processing the fuel is high Expensive complex technology - requires developed infrastructure and is costly to run Many extraction techniques are too expensive - the purity of uranium ore tends to be naturally very low, so it is not economically viable to exploit and extract. Similarly, a lot of technology is required to do so - e.g: extracting uranium from coal ash will be economic if uranium prices increase enough
	Evaluation - Significant uncertainties and environmental impacts make the energy too risky to be a future energy resource- High expenses: through construction, decommissioning, technology, and the extraction of fuel- These costs mean that it would not be viewed as sustainable, as to be so it must be affordable and avoid significant/unacceptable environmental impacts- Do these outweigh the positives? These include the abundance of uranium and potential fuel sources, efficiency, energy density, and reactor life (good for long-term use- Classed as a renewable source: however the fuel itself (uranium, thorium or plutonium as fertile fuels) is depletable as there is only a limited supply

Nuclear Power

Advantages

Highest energy density - this means that it rarely needs to be refuelled. 1kg Uranium fuel yields as much energy as 13 tonnes of coal. Less money spent/emissions released from transport
High abundance of uranium fuel exists - great potential as a long-term future energy resource
Reactor life - this has been increased in the newer, 3rd generation, reactors from 40+ years to 60+ years
3rd Generation - these reactors also have a more reliable consumption and lower fuel consumption
Reliable - the energy supply can be controlled to meet demand and is therefore not intermittent
Several potential fuels - thorium is 3x more abundant than uranium, but can be used as a fertile fuel to 'breed' the fissile uranium-233

Disadvantages

Environmental - mining and processing of uranium or thorium ore for fuel causes habitat loss, noise and dust pollution as well as turbid drainage water and hazardous wastes like toxic metal leachate
High embodied energy - this contributes to climate change as it means that a lot of energy (usually from fossil fuels) is required in manufacture/construction of the power plant due to materials like cement
Radioactivity - from radioactive waste and reactor accidents (e.g: Fukushima, 2011) incur health risks such as DNA damage, mutations, cancers
Expensive - the total costs of decommissioning have exceeded estimates, and the cost of extracting, concentrating and processing the fuel is high
Expensive complex technology - requires developed infrastructure and is costly to run
Many extraction techniques are too expensive - the purity of uranium ore tends to be naturally very low, so it is not economically viable to exploit and extract. Similarly, a lot of technology is required to do so - e.g: extracting uranium from coal ash will be economic if uranium prices increase enough

Evaluation

- Significant uncertainties and environmental impacts make the energy too risky to be a future energy resource- High expenses: through construction, decommissioning, technology, and the extraction of fuel- These costs mean that it would not be viewed as sustainable, as to be so it must be affordable and avoid significant/unacceptable environmental impacts- Do these outweigh the positives? These include the abundance of uranium and potential fuel sources, efficiency, energy density, and reactor life (good for long-term use- Classed as a renewable source: however the fuel itself (uranium, thorium or plutonium as fertile fuels) is depletable as there is only a limited supply

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Nuclear Power

Nuclear Power

Advantages

Disadvantages

Evaluation

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