Use of Nuclear Energy - Research Paper Example

Nuclear Energy Introduction There is an increasing need to reduce the quantities of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. This is in a bid to manage climate change that has negative effects to the human existence. The use of renewable sources of energy is key so as to cope with the depletion of oil mines and combat climate change all over the globe. A combination of various renewable energy sources should be adapted; these are solar, wind, nuclear, hydro-electric power and geothermal power. Nuclear energy is a clearly excellent option as a source of energy, since it is clean and safe as opposed to fossil fuels, which are highly pollutant and lead to greenhouse effects. This mode of power generation should be widely taken on initially by the industrial nations, and later on by the developing nations. In the future, nuclear plants are set to provide a cleaner way for transportation by vehicles. Also, due to their use of super-high temperatures, they can be used to extract fresh water from the salty sea water and in turn, aid in hydrogen production. As of the present, fossil fuels are in use widely over the globe. Gas reserves that are currently available are small and are sure to be depleted in a few decades. Petroleum, though in plenty and largely in use, does not fully satisfy fuel needs for the whole world. The political instability of the source areas of the Persian Gulf makes petroleum not ultimately dependable to act as a source of power. Due to the geological nature, fossil fuels are estimated to get depleted in a century from now (Richards, 111). Executive Summary In the next five decades, energy use and production will contribute largely to global warming not unless the current fuel patterns change. Currently greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are in large-scale through the byproduct that is tonnes of carbon dioxide. Though not in current use, nuclear power provides a clear-cut solution to the global warming menace. Recent studies show that nuclear energy is not only a reliable energy source, but also a necessary move so as to save our environment. The use of nuclear energy would significantly lower GHG emission by 25% in the first decade of its use globally. Nuclear power use will be able to satisfy the growing demand for electrical power by the global industries in a major way. By 2050, if the production of nuclear power is tripled, then a figure of over 1000 billion watts of power can be produced for use on a global scale (McLeish, 237). For nuclear power to be put in full implementation, some factors that have to be seriously considered are: 1. The cost of production Currently, the cost of producing nuclear power is significantly higher than other forms of energy. Thus ways to curb this should be adapted so as to ensure that nuclear power is deemed viable among other energy forms. This can be achieved through reductions of construction time, capital costs and maintenance costs and operational costs. Also, adoption of this mode of energy production by governments can significantly reduce production costs through government subsidies as well as other incentives such as tax waivers. 2. Waste disposal There are yet to be found methods to deal with waste management for nuclear power production in the long run. A closed cycle of production can be used whereby the already used fuel can be recycled for use back into the system. Though this poses costs and risks in the short-term, it is necessary and achievable in the long-run. 3. Safety In production and operations of nuclear power generation, the major concern that requires address is safety. The current designs for nuclear reactors is safe but if the production scale is to be raised to a global scale, further safety measures have to be considered and put in place. 4. Proliferation There are currently high proliferation risks in production of nuclear power. Presently, the regimes for international safeguarding do not satisfy the security needs for expansion of nuclear power generation. An example of such a case is the plutonium plants in Russia, Europe and Japan which separate and recycle plutonium. Nuclear Power for the Future Now that it is established that fossil fuels are a major contributor to global warming, and the need for decrease in emission of GHG, many nations have come into a concession to seek alternative sources of energy for their industrial use. Some of the methods that can be exploited for this is: increasing the efficiency for the generation and use of electricity; expansion of other alternative sources of energy to serve a global purpose; decreasing emission of carbon by collecting it at the production plants themselves; and increasing use of nuclear energy. Some of the methods in current use are solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectric. Technologies are being developed to ensure that these small-scale energy sources can be used on a large-scale platform. Despite its numerous advantages and benefits, wind power accounts for less than 2% of the global electricity consumption. Solar energy is the purest form of energy and if harnessed at a large scale, it could also contribute significantly to the global electricity demand (Tabak, 455). Its potential has not been fully exploited. Geothermal is the use of heat energy from the rocks within the earth’s crust and has no harmful by products. Most geothermal plants are self-sufficient hence do not need other forms of energy to sustain them. Despite the high initial costs of hydroelectric power, it is a reliable and clean form of power generation and its by-products can be recycled for later use. This research paper seeks to indicate the benefits and reliability of nuclear energy a form of energy source that is sustainable through many generations to come. It explores ways in which nuclear power can be taken to a global scale at a lower cost and more environmental friendly way. According to a recent study, nuclear power accounted for electricity consumption at level of 20% in the US and globally at 17%. These statistics are set to increase by 10% by the year 2020 on the global scale distribution. These projections consist of data from the major global nations that are set to include this option to their economy and construct nuclear power plants in their countries. Though not currently economically competitive, nuclear power can become significant in the future market if the involved governments take the initiative to support these efforts. Nuclear power option as a source of energy should be retained despite the challenges that pose with its implementation. The above four challenges can be overcome through justification of the contribution of nuclear power to reduction of global warming. This can be explained by expanding production of nuclear power as a means of future source of electricity generation (Hore-Lacy and Ian, 875). For expansion of nuclear power generation to be exploited on a large global scale, the type of fuel cycle to be used is a crucial decision. A fuel cycle involves choosing the right disposal methods for used fuel, the fuel type to be used and the reactor types used. These three factors are what can help to resolve the four challenges of proliferation, safety, costs and waste management. Three types of reactors have been explored in this research paper: a) Closed cycles utilizing thermal reactors- waste products are recycled after processing for reuse back into the system as a fuel. An example of such a system that is in current operation is the fuel cycle for exploitation of plutonium. b) Thermal reactors utilizing the no-recycling mode- this is whereby the fuel used is disposed once it has been used in the reactors. It is also known as a once-through mode. c) Fast reactors that reprocess through a closed fuel cycle- this is whereby thermal reactors have a once-through mode in combination with fast reactors that are balanced in number. This system allows the fast reactors to destroy actinides in spent fuel, reprocess it, and refabricate it into forms that can be transferred for secure storage in the industrial countries (Sovacool, 224). Once-through cycles are disadvantageous since they pose a great challenge on waste disposal on a long-term basis. This goes against the desire of the world to be more environmental friendly. Thus the closed cycle is more attractive. The initial challenges on the construction of nuclear plants are a short-term concern that can be overcome. As such, the closed cycle is likely to be the applied mode for nuclear plants around the globe thus helping in achieving a better environment that is rid of toxics. Economically, nuclear power generation has lower costs than its competition in the long-run. This is evident as electricity regulation is becoming less each year around the world. Studies into the current forms of electricity generation show that nuclear power has far more efficiency when it comes to the cost factor as long as its production capacities are high and consistent (Murray and Keith, 451). In the long run, nuclear power surpasses oil, coal and natural gas combined. This is why the world should embrace nuclear energy as its source of power. Nuclear power is not however popular with the general public. The public has continuously expressed its views with regards to the safety of nuclear plants and waste management. These have been largely the views by Europeans and Americans. But both governments have assured that if the technological and costs challenges are overcome, then nuclear power is the future of both economies. Conclusion Nuclear energy is a clean and reliable form of energy. It is a sure promising energy source for the future increasing demand for electricity on a global scale. Once the four challenges of costs, proliferation, safety and waste management are overcome, large-scale of nuclear power generation will be a viable source of energy for the world. Works Cited Hore-Lacy, Ian. Nuclear Energy in the 21st Century: World Nuclear University Press. Academic Press, 2010.  McLeish, Ewan. The Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2007.  Murray, Raymond L, and Keith E. Holbert. Nuclear Energy: An Introduction to the Concepts, Systems, and Applications of Nuclear Processes. , 2014. Richards, Julie. Nuclear Energy. Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Sovacool, Benjamin K. Contesting the future of nuclear power: a critical global assessment of atomic energy. World Scientific, 2011.  Tabak, John. Nuclear energy. Infobase Publishing, 2009.  Read More