Nuclear Basics Nuclear energy is used to generate around 11% of the world's electricity, with almost no greenhouse gas

emissions. A single uranium fuel pellet contains as much energy as 480 cubic metres of natural gas, 80 !ilos of coal or 14" gallons of oil. Nuclear energy is used by more than #0 countries around the world. Nuclear technologies ha$e many uses, including powering %ars ro$ers. Nuclear power plants can generate electricity continuously for many months at a time, without interruption. Electricity generation &$ery form of electricity generation has its strengths and wea!ness. 'he global demand for electricity is rising, and future electricity generation will need a range of options, although they must be low carbon if greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced. Nuclear generation pro$ides reliable supplies of electricity, with $ery low carbon emissions and relati$ely small amounts of waste that can be safely stored and e$entually disposed of. &lectricity is $ital to modern life. (t powers our lights and appliances at home. (t powers many industry processes. (t is used to power trains and to charge electric $ehicles. )lobally, electricity use is rising rapidly as new ma*or economies de$elop in places such as +hina and (ndia. 'his need for electricity dri$es a growing demand for electricity generation, with thousands of new power plants needed across the world o$er the coming decades. ,or many decades almost all the electricity consumed in the world has been generated from three different forms of power plant fossil, hydro and nuclear. .enewables currently generate a relati$ely small share of the world's electricity, although that share is growing fast. Fossil ,ossil fuel power plants burn carbon fuels such coal, oil or gas to generate steam that dri$es large turbines that produce electricity. 'hese plants can generate electricity reliably o$er long periods of time. /owe$er, by burning carbon fuels they produce large amounts carbon dio0ide, which causes climate change. 'hey can also produce other pollutants, such as sulphurous o0ides, which cause acid rain.

Captioned Fossil Plant ,ossil fuel plants re1uire huge 1uantities of coal, oil or gas. 'hese fuels may need to be transported o$er long distances. 'he price of fuels can rise sharply at times of shortage, leading to unstable generation costs. Large hydro 2arge hydro power plants generate electricity by storing water in $ast reser$oirs behind massi$e dams. 3ater from the dams flows through turbines to generate electricity, and then goes on to flow through ri$ers below the dam. /ydro dams can generate large amounts of electricity. /owe$er, dry periods can drain the reser$oirs. 'he flooding of reser$oirs behind dams and slowing of the flow of the ri$er below the dam can ha$e a serious impact on the ecology around the dam. 'he number of sites suitable for new dams is limited. Nuclear Nuclear power plants use the heat produced by nuclear fission to generate steam that dri$es turbines, li!e in fossil fuel plants. /owe$er, no greenhouse gases are produced in this fission process, and only small amounts are produced across the whole fuel cycle. Nuclear fuel can be used in a reactor for se$eral years. 'he used fuel that remains after this time must be stored and then either recycled to ma!e new fuel or carefully disposed of. /owe$er, because the amount of fuel used to generate electricity is so much less than that used in fossil fuel plants it is much more practical to do this with used nuclear fuel than with the wastes and emissions from fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants can run for many months without interruption, pro$iding reliable and predictable supplies of electricity. Nuclear power plants can generate electricity 445 for many months at a time, without interruption. Nuclear generation is one of the safest and least en$ironmentally damaging forms of electricity generation Renewables .enewables such as wind, solar and small scale hydro produce electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions at the point of generation and $ery low amounts of greenhouse gas emissions across their entire lifecycle. 'he cost of electricity generation from many renewables tends to be higher than other forms of generation, often re1uiring subsidies to compete with other forms of generation, although these costs are

coming down. %any renewables do not produce electricity predictably or consistently. &lectricity generation from wind turbines $aries with the wind speed, and if that wind is too wea! or too strong no electricity is produced at all. 'he output of solar panels is reliant on the strength of the sunshine, which depends on the time of day and the amount of cloud co$er. 'his means that renewables ha$e to be bac!ed up by other forms of electricity generation, often fossil fuel generation with their resultant greenhouse gas emissions Electricity generation - what are the options? &$ery form of electricity generation has its strengths and wea!ness. 'he global demand for electricity is rising, and future electricity generation will need a range of options, although they must be low carbon if greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced. Nuclear generation pro$ides reliable supplies of electricity, with $ery low carbon emissions and relati$ely small amounts of waste that can be safely stored and e$entually disposed of. &lectricity is $ital to modern life. (t powers our lights and appliances at home. (t powers many industry processes. (t is used to power trains and to charge electric $ehicles. )lobally, electricity use is rising rapidly as new ma*or economies de$elop in places such as +hina and (ndia. 'his need for electricity dri$es a growing demand for electricity generation, with thousands of new power plants needed across the world o$er the coming decades. ,or many decades almost all the electricity consumed in the world has been generated from three different forms of power plant fossil, hydro and nuclear. .enewables currently generate a relati$ely small share of the world's electricity, although that share is growing fast. Fossil ,ossil fuel power plants burn carbon fuels such coal, oil or gas to generate steam that dri$es large turbines that produce electricity. 'hese plants can generate electricity reliably o$er long periods of time. /owe$er, by burning carbon fuels they produce large amounts carbon dio0ide, which causes climate change. 'hey can also produce other pollutants, such as sulphurous o0ides, which cause acid rain.

,ossil fuel plants re1uire huge 1uantities of coal, oil or gas. 'hese fuels may need to be transported o$er long distances. 'he price of fuels can rise sharply at times of shortage, leading to unstable generation costs. Large hydro 2arge hydro power plants generate electricity by storing water in $ast reser$oirs behind massi$e dams. 3ater from the dams flows through turbines to generate electricity, and then goes on to flow through ri$ers below the dam. /ydro dams can generate large amounts of electricity. /owe$er, dry periods can drain the reser$oirs. 'he flooding of reser$oirs behind dams and slowing of the flow of the ri$er below the dam can ha$e a serious impact on the ecology around the dam. 'he number of sites suitable for new dams is limited. Nuclear Nuclear power plants use the heat produced by nuclear fission to generate steam that dri$es turbines, li!e in fossil fuel plants. /owe$er, no greenhouse gases are produced in this fission process, and only small amounts are produced across the whole fuel cycle. Nuclear fuel can be used in a reactor for se$eral years. 'he used fuel that remains after this time must be stored and then either recycled to ma!e new fuel or carefully disposed of. /owe$er, because the amount of fuel used to generate electricity is so much less than that used in fossil fuel plants it is much more practical to do this with used nuclear fuel than with the wastes and emissions from fossil fuels. Nuclear power plants can run for many months without interruption, pro$iding reliable and predictable supplies of electricity. Nuclear power plants can generate electricity 445 en$ironmentally damaging forms of electricity generation Renewables .enewables such as wind, solar and small scale hydro produce electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions at the point of generation and $ery low amounts of greenhouse gas emissions across their entire lifecycle. 'he cost of electricity generation from many renewables tends to be higher than other forms of generation, often re1uiring subsidies to compete with other forms of generation, although these costs are coming down. %any renewables do not produce electricity predictably or consistently. for many months at a time, without interruption. Nuclear generation is one of the safest and least

&lectricity generation from wind turbines $aries with the wind speed, and if that wind is too wea! or too strong no electricity is produced at all. 'he output of solar panels is reliant on the strength of the sunshine, which depends on the time of day and the amount of cloud co$er. 'his means that renewables ha$e to be bac!ed up by other forms of electricity generation, often fossil fuel generation with their resultant greenhouse gas emissions.