Nuclear power and the environment
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Nuclear power and the environment
Subject – Environment
Context – Nuclear energy helped prevent 72 billion tonnes CO2 emissions since 1970
Concept –
- Nuclear reactors worldwide have helped avoid the emission of 72 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide since 1970, compared to coal-fired electricity generation.
- Reduced electricity demand resulting from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic saw generators curtail output in response, the World Nuclear Performance Report 2021 stated.
- Nuclear power contributes to tackling climate change, for example, by providing 10 per cent of the world’s electricity, according to International Atomic Energy Agency. This is close to a third of the global low-carbon electricity.
- Nuclear electricity generation will need to double between 2020 and 2050 if the world is to meet its net-zero ambitions, the International Energy Agency’s Net-Zero by 2050 Roadmap projected.
Nuclear power and the environment
- Unlike fossil fuel-fired power plants, nuclear reactors do not produce air pollution or carbon dioxide while operating.
- However, the processes for mining and refining uranium ore and making reactor fuel all require large amounts of energy.
- Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and over the course of its life-cycle, nuclear produces about the same amount of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per unit of electricity as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of electricity when compared with solar.
