Nuclear energy returns to the spotlight | 3 proposed challenges and solutions

Nuclear energy returns to the spotlight  : 3 proposed challenges and solutions

Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is the energy released by the nucleus of an atom. It is a clean, reliable, and scalable energy source that can help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity. Fission is the process of splitting a uranium atom into two smaller atoms, releasing a large amount of energy in the form of heat. This heat is used to boil water, which turns a turbine to produce electricity.

Nuclear energy has several advantages over other energy sources. It is a low-carbon energy source, meaning it produces no greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.

However, nuclear energy also poses certain challenges. One of them is the cost of building and operating nuclear power plants. The construction of nuclear power plants is costly and the construction process can take several years. Another challenge is the risk of accidents. Nuclear accidents, such as the Chornobyl disaster in 1986 and the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011, have raised concerns about the safety of nuclear energy.

Despite the challenges, nuclear power is seen by many as a necessary part of the solution to climate change. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that nuclear power will have to play a role in meeting global climate goals, alongside other low-carbon energy sources such as renewables and energy efficiency.

The future of nuclear energy is still uncertain, but it is clear that this clean, reliable, and scalable energy source is playing an increasingly important role in the fight against climate change.

Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power

Advantages

• Low carbon emissions: Nuclear power does not produce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.
• Reliable: Nuclear power plants can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of weather conditions.
• Scalable: Nuclear energy can be used to produce large amounts of electricity.
• Safe: Nuclear energy is very safe when operated correctly.

Disadvantages 

• Expensive: Nuclear power plants are very expensive to build and operate.
• Risk of accidents: Nuclear accidents can be very serious, but they are rare.
• Nuclear waste: Nuclear waste is radioactive material that must be disposed of carefully.
• Overall, nuclear power is a clean, reliable, and scalable energy source that can help us reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. However, nuclear power presents particular challenges, such as cost and the risk of accidents. These challenges must be addressed before nuclear energy can be widely adopted.

Evolution of nuclear energy

Slowly but surely, nuclear energy is creeping into the global scene, hoping to compensate for the scarcity of fuel supplies left by the Russian-Ukrainian war crisis early last year (2022).

For decades, the star of nuclear energy went out in the wake of fears of a repeat of the nuclear accidents on Three Mile Island in the United States in 1979, and then the deadly and devastating nuclear leak at the Ukrainian Chernobyl plant in 1986. Then, the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, which made Germany the owner of The largest European economy, it was decided in April of this year to close the last 3 nuclear reactors on its territory.

On the other hand, advocates of this risky type of energy say that it has enormous potential to reduce carbon emissions resulting from traditional fossil fuels and that it provides a clean, reliable, and continuous supply of electricity, unlike renewable energy, according to the Financial Times.

In this regard, the report highlighted the return of nuclear energy to the limelight, especially in the countries of America and Europe, explaining three main challenges that need to be solved conclusively, before it once again gains the confidence of citizens and governments.

Nuclear energy in World

Nuclear power is more reliable than renewable energies such as wind and solar power. It can generate carbon-free electricity around the clock, regardless of the weather.

The energy shortage crisis and disruption of supply chains over the past year (2022) have prompted countries around the world to seek available and reliable alternatives to oil and gas, at reasonable prices that do not cause environmental pollution.

This has manifested itself in vigorous attempts, including a request from a UK parliamentary committee for the government to develop a strategy to triple electricity generation capacity from nuclear power by 2050.

In Australia, the National Party announced its support for the creation of a nuclear power plant in its constituency, the province of Queensland.

This follows the ruling coalition's plan to replace nuclear power with coal-fired plants, which dominate 50% of the country's electricity mix.

In Finland, last April, the EPR reactor began to cover 15% of the population's electricity needs.

In the United States, the third unit of the Vogtel nuclear power plant began supplying the power grid of the state of Georgia.

What sets this unit — which can power about 500,000 homes and businesses — apart from others is that it is the first nuclear reactor built by the United States from scratch in more than three decades.

Despite the crucial supplies provided by units three and four, still under construction, they will likely be among the last nuclear reactors operating on American soil.

It is worth noting here that the use of nuclear energy for electricity generation dates back to 1954 and the number of nuclear power plants in the world will reach around 438 by 2022, according to data from the International Agency Nuclear Energy.

America is the first of the 17 largest countries to use nuclear energy to produce electricity. It alone has 100 reactors, followed by France with 57 reactors, then China with 55 reactors.

The challenges of dissemination

However, three challenges must be resolved to pave the way for nuclear power to provide clean, reliable, and reliable contributions in the years to come.

1- The high cost

The most significant challenge facing the development of nuclear energy is the high cost of capital and other related issues. The establishment of nuclear reactors requires enormous wealth, greater than the cost of renewable energies, the costs of which have fallen sharply recently.

2- The problem of safe storage of nuclear waste

3- Delay in the implementation of projects

This happened at the Vogtle station in America, where the third unit was to enter service in 2016, and the commissioning was again postponed to June 2023.

4- Exceeding the prescribed fees

The cost of the third and fourth reactors at the Vogtle plant was estimated at $14 billion, then more than doubled to over $30 billion.

The cost of operating Hinkley Point C, Britain's first nuclear power station for 30 years, has also risen, and the first unit reactor is due to start up in June 2027, at a cost of up to $30 billion, an increase of the previous. figure of $14. A billion dollars.

The operation of the Flamanville 3 reactor, owned by the French company EDF Energy, is ten years behind schedule.

Le Japon, la Chine et la Corée du Sud sont sur une voie bien tracée, et le Japon en particulier a un meilleur bilan, mais il ne construit pas de réacteurs nucléaires en dehors de ses frontières.

En Corée du Sud, la Korea Electric Power Company (KEPCO) a réussi à construire la première centrale nucléaire à Abu Dhabi, aux Émirats arabes unis (centrale nucléaire de Barakah).

Solutions proposed

Selon les observateurs de l'industrie, la construction de grands réacteurs nucléaires présente un défi qui n'est pas lié à la technologie, mais plutôt à l'ingénierie et à la gestion du projet.

Par conséquent, les ingénieurs de terrain nécessitent de la planification, de la communication et des meilleures pratiques.

À la lumière des défis de planification et de mise en œuvre, pour que les réacteurs nucléaires puissent jouer le rôle auquel ils aspirent dans le mix électrique, l’industrie doit augmenter ses ressources de financement, améliorer les processus de construction et les chaînes d’approvisionnement, et prouver sa capacité à construire de grands réacteurs nucléaires dans les limites de ses capacités. les délais et les ressources financières allouées.

Fournir aux travailleurs des compétences, une expertise et des expériences similaires à celles que possèdent les pays occidentaux.

Afin de réduire les coûts, il est possible de suivre le modèle de base d'actifs réglementaires du Royaume-Uni, dans lequel les consommateurs paient via leurs factures d'énergie pour la construction de toute nouvelle centrale, mais cela peut entraîner des frais plus élevés pour les citoyens.

Reference : 

Energy Information Administration : www.eia.gov