Since 1954 when the first nuclear plant was made operational in the former USSR, the debate as to whether nuclear energy is a safe and clean energy source continues today.
So, what is nuclear energy? Without relying on scientific journals to explain, the explanation is quite simple. Energy is produced when nuclear atoms split and the heat generated by this split is used to boil water that creates steam. This steam is then sent to turbines that then generate electricity. The 1970’s energy crises prodded many countries to look for alternative energy sources. As a result, most nuclear reactors have been built between 1970 and 1985. Currently there are over 400 operational reactors across over 30 countries with the planning of another 50-60 reactors in the coming years.
The key advantage of nuclear energy is that it is clean meaning that it provides pollution-free energy without creating any greenhouse gas emissions. The impact of nuclear energy expansion in many countries has been that there has been the remarkable decline in carbon levels in France, Canada etc.
Nuclear energy while the “cleanest” energy source currently available, is still an extremely costly investment in the building of nuclear plants and the processing and disposal of nuclear materials. It is the disposal of highly toxic nuclear waste such as spent uranium and plutonium that is one of the key issues limiting the expansion of nuclear plants. While countries such as France are recycling much of the spent nuclear fuels, larger users such as the USA only store the nuclear waste (currently at 90,000 tons) in underground facilities.
