Nuclear Power Generation
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Last Updated: October 2008 Next Update: September 2009 |
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Historical All-Time High Nuclear Generation: In 2007, the U.S. generated 806.5 billion kilowatt hours of electricity through nuclear power generation.The nuclear industry generated 72.8 billion kilowatt hours in August 2007, the second highest monthly total ever.
Nuclear Generation Process: How electricity from nuclear fuel is generated.
Uranium Resources: The fuel most widely used by nuclear plants for nuclear fission is uranium. In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity. Uranium is nonrenewable, though it is a common metal found in rocks all over the world. Nuclear plants use a certain kind of uranium, U-235, as fuel because its atoms are easily split apart. Though uranium is quite common, about 100 times more common than silver, U-235 is relatively rare. Uranium occurs in nature in combination with small amounts of other elements. Economically recoverable uranium deposits have been discovered principally in the western United States, Australia, Canada, Africa, and South America. Once uranium is mined the U-235 must be extracted and processed before it can be used as a fuel. Uranium ore mined typically yields 1 to 4 pounds of U3O8 per ton or 0.05 to 0.20 percent U3O8.Uranium mining: There were 11 uranium producing mines in the United States in 2007, six underground and five in-situ-leach mining. They produced 4.5 million pounds of uranium oxide (U3O8) in 2007, 3 percent less than in 2006. Uranium Production: Total production of U.S. uranium concentrate (yellowcake) in 2007 was 4.5 million pounds U3O8, 10 percent above the 2006 level, from one U.S. mill and 5 in-situ-leach plants. Shipments of uranium concentrate from these facilities were 4.0 million pounds in 2007, 6 percent above the 2006 level. International Nuclear Power: In 2007, the United States had more nuclear capacity than any other nation, 100.1 million kilowatts of nuclear capacity, followed in rank order by France, Japan, and Germany. International growth in commercial nuclear power has slowed, but several countries have ambitious nuclear construction programs. While no nuclear reactors have been ordered in the United States since 1978, China, India, Russia, and South Korea and other countries have brought new reactors into service during the latter part of the twentieth century. Nuclear Power and the Environment: Concerns about issues such as high-level waste disposal, decommissioning expenses when reactors are retired, and the use of nuclear reactors to relieve possible global warming associated with fossil fuel-based generation will influence the future level of growth of nuclear power worldwide. Compared to electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, nuclear energy is clean. Nuclear power plants produce no air pollution or carbon dioxide but a small amount of emissions result from processing the uranium that is used in nuclear reactors.Nuclear Waste: Like all industrial processes, nuclear power generation has by-product wastes: spent (used) fuels, other radioactive waste, and heat. Spent fuels and other radioactive wastes are the principal environmental concern for nuclear power. Most nuclear waste is low-level radioactive waste. It consists of ordinary tools, protective clothing, wiping cloths and disposable items that have been contaminated with small amounts of radioactive dust or particles. These materials are subject to special regulations that govern their disposal so they will not come in contact with the outside environment. Spent Fuel Containment: Spent fuel assemblies are highly radioactive and must initially be stored in specially designed pools resembling large swimming pools (water cools the fuel and acts as a radiation shield) or in specially designed dry storage containers. An increasing number of reactor operators now store their older and less spent fuel in dry storage facilities using special outdoor concrete or steel containers with air cooling. The United States Department of Energy's long range plan is for this spent fuel to be stored deep in the earth in a geologic repository, at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. More information on this subject can be found in the following EIA publications: |