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.

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.