About Nuclear Energy

Present and Future of Nuclear Energy
There are 443 nuclear power plants in the world which produce 17% of the electricity. To meet future energy needs and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, the number of reactors will continue to rise. There are currently nine new nuclear plants under construction in countries such as China, India, Russia and Finland.

The future of nuclear energy is necessarily linked to research into new models of nuclear reactors. This new generation, more commonly known as “advanced reactors”, has been improved with respect to previous designs, making their construction more economic with modular systems and simplifying the systems by optimizing the number of equipment and welds. Even more progress has been made with operating safety systems and with prevention and mitigation of catastrophic accidents.

These enhancements correspond to the “advanced models” of Westinghouse, AP-600 andy 1000; of General Electric, ABWR 1000 and ABWR 1000 and ESBWR; and the European EPR, which can all be included under the term of evolutionary reactors.

The innovations have resulted in improved quality and safety, as the amount of wastes generated has been reduced, passive emergency cooling systems have been increased, and fuel is saved by lengthening and optimizing the burn processes.

On the other hand, the licensing system has been simplified in order to reduce administrative waiting times, thanks to standardized designs and shorter construction times.

In the long term, Generation IV, launched in 2000 by the United States, could become a reality as of 2020. Two lines of research have since emerged: on one hand the one that studies fuel cooling, and on the other the one focusing on safety improvements, sustainability and economics. The reactor that will soon be built in South Africa provides a clue to what the Generation IV reactors will be like.

The European Commission has already released a report titled “Strategic analysis of the EU energy policy”, with which it aims to define a common energy strategy. This document supports nuclear energy to combat the greenhouse effect and foreign energy dependence, and in this way avoid being subject to the fluctuations of fossil fuel prices.

On the other hand, the Council of Ministers has approved the “National Greenhouse Gas Emission Assignment Plan” for the period 2008-2010.

We are therefore at a crucial moment for the future of nuclear power in both the national and international arenas, since this form of energy, combined with other energy sources, could help meet the growing worldwide demand for efficient, clean, safe and sustainable energy.