Nuclear Flashcards
What was support like for Labour’s 2008 plan to replace existing nuclear stations with new builds?
more people supported than objected
What has happened to nuclear support in the past 10yrs?
10% increase
What remains the biggest issue for the public in relation to nuclear?
waste disposal
What is notable about nuclear employment?
ranked highest for job creation and investment out of all energy sources
What was Germany’s reaction to Fukushima?
Germany began accelerating phasing out all of its 17 reactors
What is nuclear in terms of reliability?
regarded as most reliable source of energy
What is a physical limitation of nuclear power?
very few
although can be damaged in Earthquake zones
e.g Japan’s 2011 EQ and Tsunami damaged Fukushima
What was Japan originally going to do to nuclear capacity prior to Fukushima?
increase it by 50%
Disadvantages economic of nuclear;
- most uranium supply concentrated with a few foreign companies (mainly in Australia)
- costs of decommissioning / safety / insurance very high
- foreign companies needed to build reactors in UK due to lack of skill
Economic benefits of nuclear;
+ costs are up front
+ largest energy employer
+ creates large electricity base load - so can replace fossil fuels
Political / environmental costs of nuclear;
- uranium mining not eco friendly
- disasters / accidents can cause construction of new plants to halt
- public opinion fluctuates
- terrorist targets
Political / environmental benefits of nuclear;
+ uranium can be sourced from ‘friendly’ nations (e.g Australia)
+ can help meet Paris 2030 targets
+ can help to plug energy gap
+ reduced reliance on Russia for natural gas / oil on Middle East
Where currently has the largest % of energy supplied by nuclear? How many reactors do they have?
USA
100+
How many reactors does China currently have as of 2008?
32
What % of USA’s energy is from nuclear?
30%
What % of UK’s energy is from nuclear?
20%
How much is China planning to invest in 32 new nuclear plants by 2020?
$50billion
How long does waste stay radioactive for?
10,000 years
Investing money in nuclear means less money can be invested in energy forms such as …
renewables
Nuclear as no emissions. Compare nuclear to renewables.
even when taking into account ‘full life cycle emissions’ nuclear’s discharges comparable to wind and hydro
Advantage of nuclear reliability > renewables
unlike wind / photovoltaics
nuclear can meet 24hr demand
Since when was the last nuclear reactor in the USA/
1977
Reason for shortage of construction of nuclear reactors
- shortage of parts
- shortage of engineering skills
What is nuclear economically uncompetitive in comparison to
cheaper fossil fuels e.g coal
decreasing price of renewables
where are 2 proposed plants in the USA? how much will they cost?
2 in Florida
$6-9billion each
X3 features which mean improved safety for modern nuclear reactors
- plant personnel training
- 1/6 weeks spent in classroom
- reactors confided to reinforced concrete structure
Where do experts agree is the best place to store nuclear waste? Why?
underground
can be guarded against theft / terrorist activity
Political problem with nuclear waste
often sites blocked by political wrangling for being designated as suitable for repository
area in USA proposed for nuclear waste repository, but has politically been blocked
Nevada
What is the waste produced by nuclear like?
radioactive
but fairly small amounts
What is an important consideration of nuclear and geopolitical safety
possibility of proliferation of nuclear weapons
