Title: Does nuclear energy provide an answer to global warming?
1Does nuclear energy provide an answer to global
warming?
- Dr Ian FairlieConsultant on Radiation in the
EnvironmentLondon, United Kingdom - www.ianfairlie.org
2Global Warming
- widespread concern
- need carbon-free alternatives
- many think nuclear a solution
- comfortable myth
3Does nuclear provide an answer?
- not carbon-free
- only ever make small contribution
- economically, the worst way
4How carbon-free is nuclear?
5Nuclear Fuel Cycle and CO2
- uranium mining milling
- UF6 conversion
- U-235 fuel enrichment
- nuclear fuel fabrication
- fuel transportation
- reactor operation
- waste encapsulation
- waste transportation
- future waste disposal?
6Nuclear Life Cycle Analyses
- 300 nuclear LCAs in last decade
- most aimed nuclear is the answer
- most worthless
- only 8 are comprehensive, rigorous
7CO2 emissions mainly depend on
- uranium ore grade, ore type
- U-235 enrichment method
- future waste method
- eg underground repository?
8CO2 and U ore grade
9nuclear LCAs
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11Three Independent Studies
- BJ Sovacool 2008 Valuing the GHG Emissions from
Nuclear Power. Energy Policy, 36, 2940 - Nugent, Sovacool 2014 Assessing the lifecycle
greenhouse gas emissions from solar PV and wind
energy A critical meta-survey . Energy Policy
65. 229244 - K Barnam 2015 The Burning Answer, Weidenfeld and
Nicolson
12Is nuclear power a cost effective way to reduce
CO2 ?
13compare
1. Renewable energy 2. High efficiency
technology, eg CHP 3. Biomass 4. Low carbon
fuels, eg gas not coal 5. Greater energy
efficiency in homes etc 6. Nuclear power
14CO2 saved per spent
15Nuclear Power?
- very high construction costs
- very high generation costs
16Nuclear construction costs
- proposed Hinkley C C 48 billion
- 2 x cost of 2012 UK Olympic Games
- requires enormous Government subsidies, insurance
guarantees, RD, and market interventions
17increasing costs (per kW installed)
18Renewable Energy Cost Trends November
2005 (levelised sent-out cost of energy in
constant 2005 US, excluding subsidies) Source
US NREL Energy Analysis Office www.nrel.gov/analys
is/docs/cost_curves_2005.ppt
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20Nuclear Generating Costs
- Also very high due to high capital costs
- Recent proposed deal with EdF 92.50 per MWh
double the present cost - Higher than all renewables
- Deal universally panned
21generating costs cents per kWh
22nuclear vs photovoltaic
23Nuclear Renaissance?
- globally, in last decade, gt30 GW nuclear capacity
closed - 70 GW wind 70 GW solar thermal capacity
installed
24Jobshttp//energytransition.de/wp-content/themes/
boell/pdf/en/German-Energy-Transition_en.pdf
25Conclusions
- v small contribution to CO2 reduction
- cheaper, more cost effective, quicker, safer,
options - Renewables and Energy Efficiency
26Which direction?
- Germany, Switzerland, Italy exiting
- Siemens, E.ON, RWE exiting
- Gentilly-2 closed, Pickering to close by 2020
- Vermont Yankee, San Onofre closed
27A renewable future
28- Öko Institut, Comparison of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions and Abatement - Cost of Nuclear and
Alternative Energy Options from a Life-Cycle
Perspective, January 2006 - House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee
Sixth Report Keeping the lights on Nuclear,
Renewables and Climate Change April 2006)
http//www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/
cmselect/cmenvaud/584/58407.htma14 - Sustainable Development Commission Report The
role of nuclear power in a low carbon
economyhttp//www.sd-commission.org.uk/publicatio
ns.php?id344 - US Department of Energy. National Renewable
Energy Laboratory. Energy Analysis Office
www.nrel.gov/analysis/docs/cost_curves_2005.ppt - Jan Willem Storm van Leeuwen and Philip Smith
(2006) Nuclear power - the energy balance - Sovacool (2008), wind and solar PV from Nugent
and Sovacool (2014), fracking from Hultman et al
(2011). - Daniel Nugent , BenjaminK.Sovacool (2014)
Assessing the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions
from solar PV and wind energy A critical
meta-survey . Energy Policy 65 229244 - Sovacool BK 2008.Valuing the greenhouse gas
emissions from nuclear powera critical survey.
Energy Policy 36(8), 29402953.
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