Saving the Biosphere: The Role of Nuclear Power

1
Saving the BiosphereThe Role of Nuclear Power

• North American Young Generation in Nuclear
• www.na-ygn.org

2

• What do you know about Nuclear Power?

3
1
10
18
23
30
100
200
1000
1300
1950
2000
3000
14,000
17,000
50,000
100,000
150,000
4
Nuclear Power in the US
Nuclear Power in the US

• 103 commercial nuclear power plants
• 18 years old in average
• 40 year license and possible 20 year extension
• More than 20 of the electricity produced

0.2 GEOTHERMAL OTHERS
3.7 OIL
9.6 GAS
21 NUCLEAR
9.5 HYDRO
56 COAL
5
What is Nuclear Fission?

• If the nucleus of a heavy atom (such as Uranium)
  absorbs a neutron, the nucleus can become
  unstable and split.
• This is called NUCLEAR FISSION.

6
The nucleus splits in two halves and releases
some neutrons, and radiation
During fission there is also a small loss of
mass, that is transformed into ENERGY, which is
released also.
7
The Chain Reaction

• If the extra neutrons released during a fission
  event strike other nearby Uranium atoms, these
  atoms will split as well, releasing more neutrons
  and more energy.
• The CHAIN REACTION can be stopped just by
  blocking the neutrons from hitting new atoms.

8
Electricity Production
Electricity is usually generated by a moving
fluid turning a turbine

• Gas
• Wind
• Water
• Steam
• water boiled with
• Coal
• Oil
• Gas
• Nuclear Power

9
Boiling Water Reactor
10
Pressurized Water Reactor
11
FRESH FUEL
96.7 U-238
3.3 U-235
SPENT FUEL
3.5 FISSION PRODUCTS
94.3 U-238
0.81 U-235
0.88 Pu ISOTOPES
0.51 U-236
12
Spent Nuclear Fuel
95 Uranium Can be reprocessed and used to
fabricate new nuclear fuel

• 1.5 Transuranic
• Long Half-life
• Used in MOX fuels
• Useful in Fast Breeder Reactors

• 3.5 Fission Products
• Effective Half-life 30 years
• Some FP are useful for other applications

13
Nuclear Waste

• In the US
• 70s -gt decided not to reprocess nuclear spent
  fuel
• 80s -gt Policy reversed too late.
• About 1/3 of the core is removed every year and
  stored as it is
• 30 tons nuclear waste/reactor/year
• 15 cubic yards ( a pickup truck)

SOLID MUNICIPAL WASTE in USA 220,000,000 tons/year
SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL from ALL commercial NPP in
the USA 3,000 tons/year
14

• Nuclear Power produces electricity without
  emitting
• Greenhouse Gases
• CO2
• Acid Rain Gases
• SO2
• NOx
• particulates
• Ozone

15
The Kyoto Protocol(December 1997)

• Industrialized countries agreed to reduce
  combined greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5
  compared to 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012
• 84 countries have signed, 18 have ratified

16

• US emits 25 of all CO2 in the world
• 5,500 million tons of CO2
• Electricity Generation produces 40 of US CO2
  emissions
• 2,200 million tons of CO2

17
Comparing the Life Cycle of different
Electricity Generation Technologies
18
Construction

• Manufacturing of plant components, including
• mining materials (ie iron)
• processing materials (ie steel)
• construction of components (ie solar cells)
• energy for transportation
• Site construction includes energy for
• heavy machinery

19
Construction
1.3
20
Fuel Production

• Exploration
• energy required to find fossil fuel or uranium
  resources
• Mining, Processing Refining
• energy and equipment requires to mine resources
  and convert it to usable fuel
• Transportation Storage
• energy required
• possible leaks (ie natural gas)

21
Fuel Production
17.4
22
Fuel Consumption

• Burning fossil fuels is the biggest direct
  contributor

23
Fuel Consumption
956
24
Operation Maintenance

• Electrical power is needed to keep plant running
  reliably
• Energy is needed to perform maintenance on the
  plant
• Equipment may need to be replaced
• this new equipment has all the same GHG emissions
  as the new equipment (ie. Construction)

25
Operation Maintenance
2.2
26
Decommissioning

• Energy required to dismantle power plant
• Energy required to destroy or dispose of used
  components
• Energy required to reclaim land
• heavy equipment for earth moving
• reforestation
• etc...

27
Decommissioning
0.2
28
Total
978
23
15
18
460
29
1998 Electricity Mix
52
lt0.05
20
Others Hydro Oil Geothermal Biomass
14
lt0.05
30
7.0
3.87
3.55
2.31
2.12
31
The price of nuclear

• Already includes the cost of
• decommissioning
• waste disposal
• Does not take credit for
• avoided GHG emissions
• avoided acid rain

32
To replace Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant
(1300 MW)

• Producing electricity with
• 87 capacity
• 7700 hours/year
• 10 billion kWh

we would need.
33
125 million solar panels

• Each solar panel
• Area 1 m2
• Power 80 kWh/year
• Total land needed
• 125 km2 49 sq miles

34
9000 wind turbines

• Each wind turbine
• Capacity 500 kW
• Operating 2200 h/year 25 capacity factor
• Total land needed
• 450 km2 175 sq miles
• About the entire land area of Tucson!
• (165 sq miles)

35
Reliability Availability

• Wind, Solar other renewables
• Appropriate for residential use
• Water heating
• Electricity
• but we need a BASE LOAD source of electricity
• provide electricity for industrial uses
• provide electricity at all times (not only while
  the wind is blowing or the sun in shining)
• hospitals
• emergency services
• air controllers

36
Nuclear Power Global WarmingUS The Kyoto
Protocol
11
1998 Avoidance by Nuclear Power
1998 Actual Emissions
10
-7
US 2010 Kyoto Targets
Based on data derived from the BP Amoco
Statistical Review or World Energy 1999
37
In 1998, in the US all the NPP produced 674
billion kWh
674 million tons of CO2 AVOIDED

• Because
• Lignite 1.2 kg CO2/kWh
• Hard Coal 1.0 kg CO2/kWh
• Oil 0.8 kg CO2/kWh
• Natural Gas 0.6 kg CO2/kWh

38
Other emissions

• In 1998, all the NPPs in the US produced 674
  billion kWh
• If all that power would have been produced by
  COAL
• SO2 -gt 87,500 tons
• NOx -gt 437,600 tons
• Particulate -gt 122,500 tons
• Ash -gt 87.5 million tons

39
Nuclear Power is already contributing to save the
biosphere

• Nuclear power is clean
• Negligible GHG emissions
• Contained small amount of waste
• Nuclear power is a proven technology
• Nuclear power is economical
• Nuclear power is safe
• Nuclear power is sustainable

40
(No Transcript)