Nuclear energy: is it really clean?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Nuclear energy is making an increasing appearance in the news, political discussions and industry debates - in part, due to the wider questions surrounding the UK’s energy security and rising energy costs, as well as globally renowned, luxury car manufacturers Rolls-Royce’s recent announcement, pledging to create 3 mini nuclear power stations in a bid to provide “Clean, affordable energy for all”. But is nuclear energy really clean?

The pros and cons of nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is a complex and highly contentious subject - with many advantages and disadvantages, including:

Carbon-free ‘zero-emissions’ energy: during operation, nuclear power plants don’t produce carbon dioxide or air pollutants; carbon dioxide being the key component in climate change.

Nuclear power plants are small: compared to other facilities, nuclear power plants don’t take up much physical space and are therefore less physically intrusive on the local landscape. This is particularly advantageous somewhere like the UK where space comes at a premium!

Reliable, stable energy source: nuclear has the highest capacity factor of any other energy source - producing maximum power 92% of the time (during the course of a year); making nuclear energy exceptionally reliable and consistent.

High level energy production: nuclear energy also produces high levels of energy in comparison to other energy sources - making it a great supplier of ‘baseload electricity’.

However, nuclear energy is also…

Expensive to build: nuclear power plants are considered to be extremely expensive to build - this is because nuclear reactors are complex and require a lot of safety precautions in order to ensure safe and secure operation, protecting employees as well as those in the surrounding area.  

And…

Nuclear waste is very dangerous: at the crux of the nuclear debate - the issue of contention in discussions of nuclear power - is the issue of nuclear waste which is extremely dangerous and hazardous. Although nuclear power plants produce a relatively small amount of waste, this waste is radioactive which makes it challenging to handle and even more challenging to dispose of.

In fact, the preferred method of disposal of nuclear waste in the UK is ‘geological disposal’ which isn’t technically disposal, but storage of nuclear (radioactive) waste - placing radioactive waste in an engineered facility specifically designed for the purpose of housing this kind of waste deep underground. It is the structure of the rock that provides an adequate barrier of protection to all above.

Is nuclear waste recyclable?

Alongside this is the question of whether nuclear waste is recyclable which, surely, would help to elevate the issues surrounding nuclear energy: i.e. what do we do with the waste it produces?

Again, this causes some debate - nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel is recyclable and there is use for it but, again, because it’s radioactive it is hazardous and expensive to recycle; something that, only in recent years, has been openly discussed.

In summary, whilst nuclear energy may be considered a ‘zero emissions’ energy source; reliable & consistent whilst producing a high level of useable energy, it’s important to consider the effect and cost of the waste nuclear energy produces; the dangers and the challenges associated with handling and appropriately disposing of such a hazardous substance.