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Nuclear Energy
Energised for the future with BBR
Since the epic failure, in 1979, at the nuclear plant on Three Mile Island (TMI), Pennsylvania and indeed the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 many lessons have been learned. One of these is about the importance of strong nuclear containment vessels, as the strength of the structure at TMI potentially prevented a greater disaster. With increasing pressures to slow climate change, governments around the globe are now showing interest in commissioning new nuclear plants. We examine the shape of the current market, contemporary nuclear vessel design and practice as well as the BBR Networks range of nuclear products and capabilities.
Nuclear technology was first developed in the 1940s and uses the energy released by splitting the atoms of certain elements. Research initially focused, during the Second World War, on producing bombs by splitting either uranium or plutonium atoms. It was only in the 1950s that attention turned to the peaceful purposes of nuclear fission, notably for power generation.Today, the world produces as much electricity from nuclear energy as it did from all sources combined in 1960. Civil nuclear power now supplies 16% of global needs, in 30 countries which together have some 439 commercial nuclear power reactors. Over 30 further power reactors are under construction, equivalent to 7.5% of existing capacity, while over 80 are firmly planned, equivalent to 24% of present capacity. Sixteen countries depend on nuclear power for at least a quarter of their electricity. France and Lithuania obtain around three quarters of their power from nuclear energy, while Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovenia and Ukraine get one third or more. Japan, Germany and Finland get more than a quarter of their power from nuclear energy, while the USA gets almost one fifth.
World Energy Demand
From 1980 to 2004, total world primary energy demand grew by 54% and to 2030, it is projected to grow at much the same rate. Electricity growth is even stronger, and is projected to almost double from 2004 to 2030. Increased demand is most dramatic in developing countries and that is projected to increase. Currently some two billion people have no access to electricity and remedying this lack is a high priority. With the United Nations predicting world population growth from 6.4 billion in 2004 to 8.1 billion by 2030, demand for energy must increase substantially over that period. Both population growth and increasing standards of living for many people in developing countries will cause strong growth in energy demand.
Meeting Future Needs
Nuclear power generation is an established part of the world's electricity mix and is especially suitable for large-scale, base-load electricity demand. The World Energy Outlook 2006 from the OECD's International Energy Agency (IEA) highlights the increasing importance of nuclear power in meeting energy needs while achieving security of supply and minimising carbon dioxide emissions.The report demonstrates that nuclear power could make a major contribution to reducing dependence on imported gas and curbing CO2 emissions in a cost-effective way, since uranium fuel is abundant.
Curbing Greenhouse Gases
On a global scale, nuclear power currently reduces carbon dioxide emissions by some 2.5 billion tonnes per year. Carbon dioxide accounts for half of the human-contributed portion of the global warming effect of the atmosphere over one-third of human-induced greenhouse gases come from the burning of fossil fuel to generate electricity. Nuclear power plants do not emit these gases. In 2007, the UN Intergovernment Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) produced a report on mitigation of climate change which says that the most cost-effective option for restricting the temperature rise to under 3°C will require an increase in non-carbon electricity generation from 34% (nuclear plus hydro) now to 48 53% by 2030, along with other measures.With a doubling of overall electricity demand by then, and a carbon emission cost of US$ 50 per tonne of CO2, nuclear's share of electricity generation is projected by IPCC to grow from 16% now to 18% of the increased demand, representing more than a doubling of the current nuclear output by 2030. These projected figures are estimates, and it is evident that if the renewable energy sector such as solar, wind and water power fails to grow as much as hoped, it means that other noncarbon sources will need to play a larger role. Thus nuclear power's contribution could triple or perhaps quadruple to more than 30% of the global generation mix in 2030.