Nuclear Energy FAQs What is nuclear energy? Do nuclear plants produce in the ocean dilute by a factor of Nuclear power plants split uranium greenhouse gases? No many thousands before their arrival atoms inside a reactor in a process greenhouse gases are emitted by to North America coasts. called fission. At a nuclear energy nuclear power plants. Nuclear power facility, the heat from fission is used also does not create particulate Don’t nuclear power plants to produce steam, which turns a pollution. Nuclear energy is the only spew out a lot of radiation? turbine to generate electricity. At this clean-air source of energy that Nuclear plants emit almost no point a nuclear plant is similar to a produces electricity 24 hours a day, radiation. Ironically, coal-fired power coal, gas or solar thermal plant; those every day. plants emit about three times as energy sources also generate steam much radiation as nuclear power through heat to spin a turbine. The Isn’t Fukushima a good reason plants due to naturally occurring main differences are how the heat is not to build nuclear plants? radiation from the ground. Radiation generated and the amount of fuel Isn’t that area now exposure from a nuclear power plant consumed – in a nuclear power plant, uninhabitable? No on both is about 1/300 the natural the amount of fuel consumed is tiny counts. The radiation levels near the background level of radiation. compared to that of a fossil fuel Fukushima plants have been low plant. enough for human habitation and Won’t a lot of radiation be growing crops for quite some time released if a nuclear plant What is the difference and people have begun to return to loses power because of an between natural radiation and their homes. The Fukushima reactors earthquake, hurricane, or radiation from nuclear energy? are older designs that should have terrorist attack? No. U.S. reactors Radiation is naturally present been updated to higher safety have many more additional ways of everywhere people live. It comes standards to avoid this failure (the cooling the reactors in a blackout from a variety of sources, including few commercial reactors in the U.S. than did the Fukushima reactors, cosmic rays, solar radiation, and of this design were updated long which had not been updated to terrestrial radiation from the ground. ago). The latest commercial reactor handle heat removal following a loss The background radiation a person designs differ considerably from the of electricity to the plant. If a receives varies with activities Fukushima reactors and have blackout occurs, a reactor (increases by eating certain foods, features that would have prevented immediately shuts down (as did the drinking ground water, flying on a the failures that occurred following Fukushima reactors); the difference plane, getting an x-ray) and location the tsunami at Fukushima. with newer reactor designs is that (increases by living at higher the remaining heat from radioactive elevations or in a brick house). Will radiation from Fukushima decay is continuously removed Humans evolved in an environment be of concern along U.S. and whether there is available electricity of ever-present natural background Canadian coasts? Even near the or not, thus preventing fuel melting radiation, and the radiation from a Fukushima plants, the contamination and keeping the radioactive material nuclear plant is the same type as in the sea is well below levels that secured within the reactor. natural radiation, except it is far pose a health hazard. In fact, the below background levels and thus radiation levels are significantly Can’t a nuclear power plant poses no threat. below background radiation. explode like a nuclear Moreover, Fukushima contaminants weapon? It is impossible for a reactor to explode like a nuclear energy sources. All of the spent Can we run out of uranium fuel weapon. Nuclear weapons contain nuclear fuel generated in every U.S. for reactors? The U.S. has large very special materials in unique nuclear plant in the past 50 years uranium reserves and could obtain arrangements, which is not the case would fill a single football field to a additional uranium from politically in nuclear reactors. Explosions that depth of less than 10 yards. Used fuel stable, friendly countries like Canada occurred at Fukushima were driven is not truly “waste” —96 % of spent and Australia that also have large by a build-up of high-pressure gases fuel has the potential to be recycled uranium deposits. Known reserves of (hydrogen and steam). The resulting to make new nuclear fuel in the economically accessible uranium explosion is similar to a can of soda future. And the radioactive material should supply over 200 years of exploding upon impact. In the U.S., left over from recycling would need nuclear power production worldwide these explosions would not have storage for less than 300 years to at existing consumption rates. occurred – the gases would not have become no more radioactive than However further exploration and been able to build up due to design ordinary bricks and stones. improvements in extraction differences. technology, enhancements to light Isn’t it dangerous to store water reactors (LWRs), plus the Isn’t it easy for terrorists to spent nuclear fuel? No. Spent ability to recycle spent nuclear fuel, steal nuclear fuel from nuclear fuel is currently being safely stored at have the potential to extend the plants and make bombs? power plants, first in big pools of supplies to a thousand years. Fast Plutonium is present only in spent water, then, after several years, in breeder reactors under development (used) fuel, and the high radiation concrete casks. Spent fuel is so well generate more fuel than they levels of spent fuel, plus the very shielded that divers routinely plunge consume, and use less than 1 percent strong and thick steel and concrete into the storage pools to complete of the uranium needed for current structures where spent fuel is stored, surveillance inspections without LWRs. Breeder reactors could make spent fuel very unsuitable for receiving a significant radiation dose. provide today's level of nuclear making bombs. This also makes it power production for 30,000 years very secure against theft for making Why should we build nuclear using existing reserves. dirty bombs. Fresh (unused) fuel plants that take 12 years to contains only non-weapons grade construct, when solar and wind Why not use thorium reactor uranium, which is sealed inside fuel farms can go up in a couple of plants? Aren’t they safer than bundles that weigh roughly 1,000 years? Nuclear plants can be built uranium-fueled reactors? We pounds and are about 12 feet tall. in significantly less time. For example, may use the thorium cycle some day Nuclear bombs need over 90% U235, in China it takes 5 years from initial when uranium runs low, or in whereas commercial nuclear fuel is construction to commercial countries with little uranium. But no more than 5% U235. Finally, operation of a nuclear plant. Besides, uranium fuel technology (especially nuclear power plants have elaborate a nuclear power plant operates for recycling) is much more developed security, including sensors, barriers up to 60 years (compared to about than thorium technology and and armed guards, to provide added 15 years for wind turbines) producing therefore more commercially viable. assurance that both fresh fuel and emission-free electricity for 1 million All of the arguments commonly spent fuel remain secure. homes with low fuel costs. Countries made in favor of thorium reactors are like China are building or planning for also true for advanced uranium What about the huge amounts almost 100 reactors in the next few reactors, including the safety of nuclear waste from nuclear decades to reduce their carbon arguments, and uranium advanced power plants? There’s no way footprint while providing reliable reactors are far closer to to get rid of it, is there? The electricity to support their projected commercialization than reactors current amount of nuclear waste is a economic growth. using thorium technology, so there is small volume compared to waste not strong justification to abandon products from other on-demand uranium in favor of thorium. C O N T A C T : Nuclear Engineering Division | [email protected] | www.ne.anl.gov Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439 November 2017 .