16 Oct (NucNet): The security of energy supply from nuclear power is more reliable than that for oil or gas, according to the authors of the first ‘Nuclear Energy Outlook’ launched today by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
Additionally, uranium’s high energy density means that transport is less vulnerable to disruption, and storing a large energy reserve is easier than for fossil fuels, says the publication. It adds that one tonne of uranium produces the same energy as 10,000 to 16,000 tonnes of oil using current technology. Technological developments are likely to improve that performance even more.
Speaking at the publication’s launch, NEA director-general Luis Echavarri emphasised the role that nuclear power could play in delivering cost-competitive and stable supplies of energy, while also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to one scenario in Nuclear Energy Outlook, existing nuclear power technologies could provide more than a fifth of global electricity by 2050 as demand for power rises in countries such as China and India. Under this scenario, 1,400 reactors of the size commonly in use today would be in operation by 2050, providing four times the current supply of nuclear-generated electricity.
However, the publication says that to achieve such an expansion, “securing political and societal support for the choice of nuclear energy is vital”.
Governments have a clear responsibility to maintain continued effective safety regulation, advance efforts to develop radioactive waste disposal solutions and uphold and reinforce the international non-proliferation regime, the publication says.
In terms of reactor development, Nuclear Energy Outlook forecasts that the “dominant” reactor type in use is likely to be Generation III+ light water reactors, reflecting further improved safety characteristics and economic performance in comparison with existing designs.
By 2030, Generation IV energy system concepts offering competitively priced and reliable operations with minimised waste production are expected to be commercially available, the publication says. These systems will also open up opportunities to produce hydrogen fuel for the transport sector.
The NEA said Nuclear Energy Outlook is designed to make an important contribution to discussions of nuclear energy’s potential role in the energy mixes of its member countries.
Details of how to order a copy of the publication (ISBN 978-92-64-05410-3) are on the NEA’s web site (www.nea.fr).
–- by John Shepherd
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