Benefits and Problem Issues of Nuclear Technology

Benefits:

• Reliable

Nuclear reactors produce massive constant electricity and operate power over 90% of time. The time to refuel has been extended and downtown for refueling has minimized. Most nuclear reactors are designed to operate for more than 40 years which is a lot of time and enough to get energy. (Conserve energy, Mahesh, Rinkesh)

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• Powerful and efficient

Nuclear energy is more powerful and efficient than other alternative energy source. Nowadays small part of world’s electricity comes from it. (Conserve energy, Mahesh, Rinkesh)

• No greenhouse gas emissions

Nuclear reactor absolutely doesn’t emit any greenhouse gasses. The process of mining, enrichment, construction and waste management of uranium involves emission of greenhouse gasses. However, overall, it emits way lesser when compared to fossil fuels. (Conserve energy, Mahesh, Rinkesh)

• The modern day nuclear power plants are safe

Developers of the current nuclear power plants have been improving the weaknesses that has led the past disasters like the Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Japan. Now the current nuclear power plants don’t rely on the external electricity supplies or water supplies to cool water. As an alternative, they use water fed by gravity, gas pressurized water tanks, and natural convection heat exchangers. (Conserve energy, Mahesh, Rinkesh) These systems are called “passive safety system.

• Costs of operation are substantially low

Although, the cost at the beginning of set up a nuclear power is expensive, but the cost of electricity is cheap afterwards. The raw material such as uranium for production is not expensive. When it’s all set up, the running and maintenance cost is manageable. Also, even if market increases the cost of uranium, the cost of power won’t be expensive. (Nuclear energy, Johnson Brian)

Issues/ problems:

• Waste

When heavy atoms fissions and release energy, remained small atoms are left with some energy. This energy will be released for long period in a form of energetic particles called radiation. (Nuclear energy, Johnson Brian) In fact, the longest-lived waste lasted for more than 100,000 years. It should be isolated away from the people and biosphere as it is hazardous.

• Safety

The radioactive fission products get very hot when a reactor shuts down and it can’t be shut completely off. This heat must be cooled, or else, the structure will breach and it will release radiation into biosphere. For example, this kind of effect caused accidents at Fukushima and Three Mile Island. The damage will be catastrophic when this kind of accident occurs and people really fear it. (Nuclear energy, Johnson Brian)

• High cost

Nuclear reactors are generally large and hard to build because there are lots of strengthened concrete and nuclear quality assurance programs. (Nuclear energy, Johnson Brian) As a result, the cost is high. Once they’re built, the fuel and operating costs are relatively cheap, but the major problem is with the cost to build.

How to solve the problems?

• Waste solution

The waste shouldn’t be around people, so it gets buried. Researchers have found a deep geologic disposal in salt deposits that were formed 250 million years ago. (Nuclear energy, Johnson Brian) Therefore, if the fuel cycle and recycle spent fuel are closed, it decays within several hundred years.

• Safety solution

Nuclear energy has killed many people, but also saved 1.8 million lives by displacing air-pollution factors which fossil plants been producing. This includes health issues of the nuclear accidents. It is hard to say that it hundred percent guarantees the safety, but in reality it is one of the safest ways known among source of producing energy. Also, the development and advancement of the nuclear technology is making it safer than before.

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• High cost

There are many researches going on in many venues to reduce the cost of nuclear reactors. Advanced designs and construction techniques can possibly bring costs down.