NUCLEAR
THE GREEN ENERGY

Nuclear power stations work in a very similar way to coal- and gas-fired power stations, but the science behind the nuclear production process is much more advanced.

In a nuclear reactor, a reaction is driven by the splitting of atoms – a process called nuclear fission – where a particle is fired at an atom to split it into two smaller atoms (and some additional neutrons). The neutrons released hit other atoms, causing them to divide and release more neutrons. This is called a chain reaction and the whole process creates masses of heat.

Nuclear reactors generate heat, which is removed by a circulating fluid, such as water, and turned into pressurised steam. This steam is then forced through turbines that turn electrical generators to produce electricity.

How does nuclear energy work

1.Unlike many renewable energy sources, power from nuclear energy can be generated 24 hours a day and isn’t dependent on the weather, like wind and solar power tend to be.

2. Because of this, nuclear power is more readily available to meet energy demands, which helps to lower the carbon intensity of the electricity supply during times when other renewable energy sources might not be as readily available.

3. Some new-generation nuclear power stations are now certified for 80 years of operation – far longer than a gas- or coal-fired power stations and many renewable installations. However, there are a number of significant expenses to consider, including upfront expense, decommissioning costs and storage costs of depleted fuel and other materials. They also require a lot of maintenance over their lifespan.

Nuclear fuels, such as the element uranium, are not considered renewable as they are a finite material mined from the ground and can only be found in certain locations. But nuclear power stations use a miniscule amount of fuel to generate the same amount of electricity that a coal or gas power station would (1 kg of uranium = 2.7 million kg of coal), so they’re considered a reliable source of energy for decades to come.

There are concerns around what to do with spent fuel from reactors, as there’s still no definitive way to dispose of it indefinitely without risk. However, although the reactors and housing remain untouchable for considerable lengths of time when a nuclear site is decommissioned, a new reactor can be built on the site itself.

What are the benefits of nuclear energy

Nuclear energy renewable?

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.

How nuclear reactor work

Mining, enrichment and disposal of uranium

Uranium is a metal that can be found in rocks all over the world. Uranium has several naturally occurring isotopes, which are forms of an element differing in mass and physical properties but with the same chemical properties. Uranium has two primordial isotopes: uranium-238 and uranium-235. Uranium-238 makes up the majority of the uranium in the world but cannot produce a fission chain reaction, while uranium-235 can be used to produce energy by fission but constitutes less than 1 per cent of the world’s uranium.

To make natural uranium more likely to undergo fission, it is necessary to increase the amount of uranium-235 in a given sample through a process called uranium enrichment. Once the uranium is enriched, it can be used effectively as nuclear fuel in power plants for three to five years, after which it is still radioactive and has to be disposed of following stringent guidelines to protect people and the environment. Used fuel, also referred to as spent fuel, can also be recycled into other types of fuel for use as new fuel in special nuclear power plants.

Nuclear waste