Nuclear Power

Extracted Attributes

• Safety

  One of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources

• Mechanism

  Generates electricity via nuclear fission

• Cost to Run

  Relatively cheap

• Fuel Source

  Uranium

• Reliability

  Provides constant supply of baseload power, high capacity factor (over 93%)

• Cost to Build

  Expensive, billions of dollars, can take over a decade

• Global Presence

  Over 413 reactors operating in more than 31 countries

• Carbon Emissions

  Low-carbon, practically no CO2 during operation

• Advanced Technology

  Gen 4 Nuclear Reactors (e.g., Pebble Bed Reactor)

• Global Electricity Share

  Approximately 10% of the world's electricity

• EU Low-Carbon Electricity Share

  About half of the European Union's low-carbon electricity

Timeline

• Widespread provision of reliable electricity by nuclear energy began (approximately 60 years ago from current context). (Source: web_search_results)

  1960-01-01

• Duke Energy began operating nuclear plants (approximately 50 years ago from current context). (Source: web_search_results)

  1970-01-01

• China rapidly expanded its nuclear power capacity, successfully deploying next-generation, meltdown-proof technology like the Pebble Bed Reactor, a type of Gen 4 Nuclear Reactor. (Source: fdb82f63-85f0-430e-b962-67668fa45241)

  Recent

Web Search Results

• Nuclear power

  Nuclear power plants are thermal power stations that generate electricity by harnessing the thermal energy released from nuclear fission. A fission nuclear power plant is generally composed of: a nuclear reactor, in which the nuclear reactions generating heat take place; a cooling system, which removes the heat from inside the reactor; a steam turbine, which transforms the heat into mechanical energy; an electric generator, which transforms the mechanical energy into electrical energy. [...] Nuclear power is the single largest low-carbon electricity source in the United States, and accounts for about half of the European Union's low-carbon electricity. Nuclear energy policy differs among European Union countries, and some, such as Austria, Estonia, Ireland and Italy, have no active nuclear power stations.[citation needed] [...] Nuclear power is a safe, sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions. This is because nuclear power generation causes one of the lowest levels of fatalities per unit of energy generated compared to other energy sources. "Economists estimate that each nuclear plant built could save more than 800,000 life years." Coal, petroleum, natural gas and hydroelectricity have each caused more fatalities per unit of energy due to air pollution and accidents. Nuclear power plants also emit no

• How Nuclear Energy Works

  The common definition for nuclear energy is the energy released by a chain reaction, especially by fission or fusion. Practically speaking, nuclear energy uses fuel made from mined and processed uranium to make steam and generate electricity. Nuclear energy is the only source of electricity that can produce a constant supply of power – known as baseload power—reliably without emitting greenhouse gases. [...] A nuclear reactor produces electricity in much the same way other power plants do. The chain reaction produces the energy, which turns water into steam. The pressure of the steam turns a generator, which produces electricity. The difference is in how the heat is created. Power plants that run on fossil fuels burn coal, oil or natural gas to generate heat. In a nuclear energy plant, Uranium is used as a fuel and the heat is produced from splitting atoms – a process called nuclear fission. [...] For more than 60 years, nuclear energy has provided the world with reliable electricity. Today, more than 413 reactors are operating in more than 31 countries. These plants generate around 10 percent of the world’s electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. More nations are exploring the use of nuclear energy, particularly as electricity demand increases and concerns about climate change rise. International Atomic Energy Agency World Nuclear Association (WNA)

• What is Nuclear Energy? The Science of Nuclear Power

  Nuclear energy is a form of energy released from the nucleus, the core of atoms, made up of protons and neutrons. This source of energy can be produced in two ways: fission – when nuclei of atoms split into several parts – or fusion – when nuclei fuse together. [...] Nuclear power is a low-carbon source of energy, because unlike coal, oil or gas power plants, nuclear power plants practically do not produce CO2 during their operation. Nuclear reactors generate close to one-third of the world’s carbon free electricity and are crucial in meeting climate change goals. To find out more about nuclear power and the clean energy transition, read this edition of the IAEA Bulletin. ## What is the role of the IAEA? [...] Inside nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors and their equipment contain and control the chain reactions, most commonly fuelled by uranium-235, to produce heat through fission. The heat warms the reactor’s cooling agent, typically water, to produce steam. The steam is then channelled to spin turbines, activating an electric generator to create low-carbon electricity. Find more details about the different types of nuclear power reactors on this page.

• Nuclear Energy - How Energy Works

  Nuclear energy is produced by the splitting of uranium atoms in a process known as fission. This generates heat to produce steam, which is used by a turbine generator to generate electricity. Because nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. Duke Energy’s McGuire, Oconee, Catawba, Robinson and Harris nuclear plants are pressurized reactor designs. Brunswick is a boiling water reactor design. ### Pressurized Reactor [...] Nuclear Power Image 3 Nuclear Energy A dependable, always-on energy resource. A Reliable Energy Source for the Future [...] By reliably providing power 24 hours a day, nuclear energy is an important part of the energy mix necessary to meet electricity demand. And, with no carbon emissions, it will remain an important clean energy resource for the future. For more than 50 years, Duke Energy has operated nuclear plants – setting industry benchmarks for safety and efficiency in the process. We employ redundant and diverse safety systems to protect the public, our employees and the environment.

• The Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy - Earth.Org

  Finally, nuclear energy has some advantages compared to some of the most popular renewable energy sources. According to the US Office of Nuclear Energy, nuclear power has by far the highest capacity factor, with plants requiring less maintenance, capable to operate for up to two years before refuelling and able to produce maximum power more than 93% of the time during the year, making them three times more reliable than wind and solar plants. [...] Lastly, if compared to other sources of energy, nuclear power is one of the most expensive and time-consuming forms of energy. Nuclear plants cost billions of dollars to build and they take much longer than any other infrastructure for renewable energy, sometimes even more than a decade. However, while nuclear power plants are expensive to build, they are relatively cheap to run, a factor that improves its competitiveness. Still, the long building process is considered a significant obstacle in [...] Nuclear energy supporters also argue that nuclear power is responsible for the fastest decarbonisation effort in history, with big nuclear players like France, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and South Korea being among the countries that recorded the fastest decline in carbon intensity and experienced a clean energy transition by building nuclear reactors and hydroelectric dams.

• Instance Of

  Q3305213

• Inception Date

  1/1/1986