In the 1960s, Nuclear Energy was seen as the long-term solution for providing energy needs to humankind. It was the energy that was 'too cheap-to-meter', which means, it was the cost of nuclear power for consumption was very less.
Nuclear energy is the most controversial energy source. However, no one can deny the fact that nuclear energy is at present the most reliable form of energy that can not only meet the base-load requirement of the electrical grid but also help mitigate climate change by avoiding carbon emissions.
In this three-part blog series, I am going to explore critical facts related to nuclear energy: Part-I: Evolution of nuclear power and risks & benefits of using nuclear power as a future energy source.
Part II: Technology associated with nuclear energy & major accidents associated with nuclear.
Part III: Present the stand of different governments on nuclear technology in their net zero-regime.
This first blog is going to answer three fundamental questions related to nuclear power.
1. Evolution of nuclear power.
2. Risks & Benefits of nuclear power.
Evolution of Nuclear Power:
It is very unfortunate that nuclear energy was introduced to the world in a form of a weapon of the mass-destruction by the nuclear attack on Hiroshima & Nagasaki. But it was soon enough that the world realized that nuclear energy has the huge potential to be used in other sectors like electrical generation and agriculture research sector.
The following infographic [Image(a). Evolution of Nuclear Power] shows a timeline of the evolution of nuclear energy in brief.
The development of nuclear energy can be broadly divided into four major periods:
1930-1950:
The discovery of the destructive potential of nuclear energy that can be used in the development of weapons of mass destruction led the allies to invest heavily in the research and making of atomic bombs.
But after the catastrophic destruction of the atomic bombing of two Japanese cities, the world realized the destructive potential of the newfound energy.
1950-1970:
Scientists began experimenting with peaceful applications of nuclear power.
In 1951, scientists developed the first nuclear reactor (EBR-1) that can generate electricity from nuclear energy. Similarly, a few commercial nuclear power plants were established in USA, Russia, and UK.
In 1953, the then US President proposed a new "International Atomic Energy Association" that would promote the peaceful uses of nuclear power during his speech famously known as "Atoms for Peace." International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) was established in 1957 under the aegis of the United Nations.
The minor opposition related to the potential hazards related to nuclear accidents started across America and Europe.
1970-1980: The 1973 oil embargo forced many countries to reconsider their approach to the energy-security. Many countries started to look forward to different strategies like energy efficiencies, search for alternative fuels, and nuclear fitted completely in sync with the plans. France announced the "Messener Plan" in 1974 to construct 80 nuclear power plants by 1985 and 170 plants by 2000 and today France has almost 70% component of the nuclear power in its grid electricity. The growth of the nuclear sector as electricity has been the highest in this phase of history. The Three-Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, USA gave some set back to this growth.
1980- 2011:
This was a period of nuclear accidents that would change the way the governments and the common man started seeing nuclear power plants. The series of accidents in Three-Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima Power Plants killed thousands directly and millions indirectly. (The next blog post would talk more about the accidents and technology part of nuclear power plants).
The opinions started to be more polarized among the political spheres and social spheres. One group suggested shutting down nuclear power plants because of the risks associated with a nuclear accident. The other group advocates the use of nuclear energy as a cleaner alternative to coal energy which is causing global warming.
2011 onwards:
While some countries like Germany have started phasing out nuclear power from their electricity, some countries like India and China have huge investments in pipelines for new nuclear power plants. China has more than 18 nuclear power plants and India has 8 nuclear power plants under different stages of construction.
Current Status of Nuclear Power:
Nuclear Energy is currently the second largest source of the low emissions power after hydropower. Image (b) shows the comparison of the different low-emissions power sources as presented in a report by International Energy Association (IEA).
As of date, 32 countries have nuclear power plants for the generation of electricity, generating a combined total of around 413 Gigawatts of electrical energy, which is approximately 10% of the global electricity generation.
There are around 439 nuclear power plants across 32 countries, 70% of which are located in advanced economies. But as the number of nuclear power plants approved and under construction in emerging countries like China and India, this dynamic is going to be challenged in the near future.
As per the latest report titled Nuclear Power and Secure Energy Transitions by IEA published in September 2022, nuclear energy has made a significant contribution to slowing the rise in global emissions of CO2 since the 1970s.
"Around 66 Gt of CO2 was avoided globally between 1971 & 2020. Without the contribution of nuclear power, the total emissions from electricity would have been 20% higher."- IEA Report.
Risks Associated With Nuclear Power:
There are a lot of apprehensions in the minds of the common people regarding the selection of nuclear power as the preferred source of electricity provider. The primary risks associated with nuclear power can be classified into three broad reasons:
Finite & risky extraction of raw materials:
Uranium is the fuel for nuclear power plants. Like coals are to be mined, extracted, and transported to reach the respective nuclear power plant. These are radioactive fuels that are to handle with caution, hence coming very expensive.
The technology involved in the generation of energy from uranium requires huge upfront costs.
Hazards Risks & After Effects:
Nuclear accidents are very notorious for their long-term impact on the lives of neighboring people. Sometimes, the impacts last across generations and hence the fear of nuclear hazards seems reasonable to politicians. The recent Fukushima Incident has severely affected the way the government plans its nuclear future.
Nuclear plants are also easy targets for both terrorists and cyber-attacks that can compromise the safety and security of the citizens of the nations with nuclear power plants.
It also increases the risk of nuclear proliferation which the rogue nations can use for the production of weapons of mass destruction. It can become a global threat.
Disposal of waste:
Nuclear wastes can remain highly radioactive for hundreds-thousands of years and hence they cannot be safely discarded or disposed of easily. It requires highly advanced technology to decompose nuclear waste.
Advantages of nuclear power:
Although the risks associated with nuclear power plants cannot be avoided, the advantages associated with it cannot be ignored entirely. The advantages associated with nuclear energy are- low emissions of electricity generation, low operating costs, and a reliable energy source for the future.
Low emissions electricity generation:
As indicated in the chart in image (b), it can be seen that nuclear power is next only to hydropower in low-emission electricity generation and hence is an essential low-carbon footprint electricity generation source. It has helped abate a lot of the carbon emissions since 1971.
Low operating costs:
Although installing a nuclear power plant entails huge upfront costs, the operating costs of nuclear power plants are very small compared to other electricity generation sources.
Reliable energy source:
Thermal power plants are a huge source of air pollution and are practically irreplaceable in terms of the base-load provider to the grid. Nuclear power plants can be a reliable source of the grid while being carbon-neutral. Solar and wind are environmentally friendly forms of energy providers but are not as reliable for consistency and stability of the grid.
I would end this blog with a quote from Bill Gates regarding the reasons for being bullish about nuclear energy.
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