12.1. Nuclear Power and Sustainability Flashcards
1
Q
Sustainability
A
meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
2
Q
Sustainable Management
A
improves basic standards of living without affecting the needs of future generations, i.e. it is long-term and does not compromise the resource base.
3
Q
Aims of Sustainability
A
The environment should be preserved;
- Resources need to be retained for future generations to enjoy; and
- People need to be able to continue with economic and social activities that allow them to live comfortably (maintain quality of life and standard of living)
4
Q
Nuclear Production
A
- The first commercial nuclear power stations started operation in the 1950s.
- Over 440 commercial nuclear power reactors in 31 countries provide over 11% of the world’s electricity.
- Production peaked in 2006, dominated by HICs
5
Q
Nuclear Production and Economic Development
A
- Increase in share of nuclear energy as economic development increases
- High use of nuclear energy in HICS
6
Q
Nuclear Power Facts
A
- A typical 1000 MW nuclear reactor, generates around 10 billion kWh of electricity each year.
- A typical US household consumes around 11,200 kWh each year, so based on these figures, a nuclear power plant supplies enough electricity to supply 893,000 typical US homes.
- Using 1kg of uranium is roughly equivalent to burning 1500 tons of coal.
- A typical 1000 MW light water reactor produces, on average, 20 metric tonnes of spent fuel per year. The spent fuel typically contains 1 percent plutonium.
- A typical 1000 MW nuclear reactor produces enough plutonium each year for 40 nuclear bombs.
7
Q
Why high nuclear in HICs?
A
- The ability of HICs both financially and technologically;
- Concerns over depletion of and pollution from fossil fuels, thus realistic alternatives are sought;
- Past energy policy / previous experience / long history of nuclear power;
- Rising energy demand and reduced carbon emission targets to combat climate change;
- Inertia (i.e. resistance to change); and
- The relative high costs of and possible energy insecurity of alternatives, particularly in the long term.
8
Q
Nuclear Nations
A
- USA has 103 operating reactors and leads the world in use of nuclear energy – amounting to 31% of worlds nuclear energy
- However since the Three Mile Island incident in 1979, no new plants have been built, although this may change soon.
- France produces 16% of world nuclear energy and 80% of domestic electricity comes from nuclear.
- France is thinking about replacing its old plants with new ones
- Japan produces 9% of global nuclear energy.
- This could be changing as China and India, with increasing affluence and demand for energy, are both planning to build new plants to satisfy demand.
9
Q
Main arguments for Nuclear Power
A
- Produces massive amounts of energy from a small amount of resource;
- Does not emit greenhouse gases / contribute to global warming via the actual operation of the reactor to produce energy.
- Has competitive running costs;
- Potentially ample availability of uranium globally compared to fossil fuels;
- Has potential for countries lacking resources (e.g. Japan, meaning reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels; and
- Politically desirable (defence, prestige, status etc.).
10
Q
Main concerns for Nuclear Power
A
- Power plant accidents, which release radiation into the air, land and sea;
- Issue of radioactive waste storage and disposal – half-lives in some cases are 200,000 years;
- Rogue state or terrorist use of nuclear fuel, uranium, to produce plutonium for weapons;
- High construction costs, both in economic and energy terms;
- Uranium mining is an energy intensive process, adding CO2;
- Links to possible increase in certain types of cancer near nuclear plants;
- Decommissioning costs
11
Q
So How Sustainable is Nuclear Power?
A
- Produces massive amounts of energy from a small amount of resource, without greenhouse gas emission;
- …but construction and production of uranium fuel do release greenhouse gases;
- Has potential for countries lacking resources to reduce
reliance on imported fossil fuels; - Nuclear disasters and radioactive waste have the potential to negatively impact environment and quality of life of future generations, which is clearly not sustainable.
12
Q
Positive Nuclear Case study: UK and Hinkley Point
A
- The UK has had a nuclear energy programme since 1956, with no significant environmental impacts and only one very minor accident, which was contained by the plants containment systems.
- Hinkley point will provide power for 6 million homes, equivalent to 7% of the UK’s total energy demand.
- Using the nuclear power instead of traditional alternatives will prevent some 600 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
- One assessment of the lifetime emissions of Hinkley – that is the carbon emitted right through construction to retirement – is 4.8 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour, 35% of which will come in the construction phase.
- EDF calculates that over 4,500 jobs will be provided in the construction phase at Hinkley Point, and 700 once the station starts operations; in addition the new power station will support hundreds of jobs in the supply chain.
- However, due to construction difficulties, the cost of
construction is due to overrun by £2.9 billion.
13
Q
Fukushima, Japan, Nuclear disaster, 2011: Main facts and causes
A
- The Earthquake’s epicentre (24 km deep), was 72 km off the coast of Sendai, where the Pacific Plate is being subducted below the Okhotsk Plate, which carries northern Japan. This generated a tsunami
- The tsunami’s highest wave height was 15 m and this reached the nearest coastline within 30-40 minutes.
- The most serious consequence of the tsunami was the damage to the Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, which supplied 6% of the company’s energy.
- There were six reactors – three were not operating, and the other three shut down successfully in response to the earthquake. However, two tsunami waves arriving 40-50 minutes later inundated the power station.
14
Q
Fukushima, Japan, Nuclear disaster, 2011: How the Tsunami affected the nuclear reactor
A
- In any nuclear reactor, water is heated to form steam. This drives turbines that in turn generate electricity.
- When the earthquake happened, the reactors automatically closed down but because the power supply had been damaged by the tsunami, the cooling system in the basement failed, allowing water to heat and to continue generating steam.
- The fuel rods got hotter and reacted with steam to form hydrogen gas and actually melted, causing damage to the power station’s structure.
- Pressure rose until there was an explosion and the hydrogen was released. In response, managers used seawater as an emergency coolant and sprayed it over the reactors.
- After the explosion, radioactive substances escaped and fires developed.
15
Q
Fukushima, Japan, Nuclear disaster, 2011: Impacts
A
- 80,000 people in a 12-mile radius had to be evacuated due to radiation contamination.
- In December 2011, at the same time as the Fukushima plant was declared stable, (but decades before the area is decontaminated and people can return), 800 from the town of Futaba were still living in an abandoned school 100 miles away.
- There has been concern about radiation in the food chain. Unsafe levels of caesium-137, which has a half-life of 30 years, were reported in beef, due to cattle being fed contaminated hay.
- Contamination was found in soils and crops up to 40 km away from Fukushima, and whilst the open ocean seems not to be affected, the near-shore sediments (up to 20 km offshore) were badly affected and hence seafood has high levels of caesium.
