Nuclear power is produced from the nuclear power plants by using nuclear fission, nuclear fusion and nuclear decay. Most of the nuclear power plants use thermal reactors with rich uranium to produce power at a very low cost. All the thermal reactors breed some amount of plutonium. The very first nuclear power plant was established in 1954 in Obnisk, south west of Moscow, Russia. This city is also known as the “science city of Russia”.
Benefits of nuclear power:
Nuclear power have received lot of bad attention from the media and they created an image, as if nuclear power is a destructive energy alternative. But on the contrary, nuclear power is highly beneficial and in the long run, it could be the answer to the energy scarcity all over the world. Recently, in many countries of Europe, energy crisis has come up and the price of gas is increasing in leaps and bounce. So let’s see here some of the benefits of nuclear power:
1. Its one of the low-carbon energy sources of power for the environment. It will eventually reduce the pollution level in the air.
2. Nuclear power has the smallest impact in terms of carbon footprints. Fossil fuel increases the carbon footprints pretty quickly, but nuclear power reduce it.
3. It is very reliable power alternative and cost-effective too at the same time. The nuclear power plants can use the thermal reactors along with plutonium and uranium to produce nuclear power.
4. Recently, in COP27, a lot of discussions happened over green house gas emission and climate change crisis. Nuclear power is the easiest answer to bridge this gap pretty easily. It won’t be heavy in the pockets and common people can also use it.
Chernobyl and Fukushima disaster:
When the Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011) disaster took place, many experts opined that nuclear plants or the nuclear power could destroy the planet drastically. We must not opt for this energy alternative. But in 2015, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) changed the outlook of the nuclear power by approving this method. They opined that nuclear energy is more promising and because of its the low carbon generation, its going to bring a radical change in global warming. It will help us to revive our planet and will provide us more financially affordable energy alternatives.
Biggest nuclea power plants in the world:
1. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, Japan
2. Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, Canada
3. Hanul Nuclear Power Plant, South Korea
4. Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant, South Korea
5. Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine
Biggest nuclear power plants in India:
1. Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
2. Tarapur Nuclear Reactor, Maharashtra
3. Kalapakkam Nuclear Power Plant, Tamil Nadu
4. Narora Nuclear Reactor, Uttar Pradesh
5. Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant, Rajasthan
Nuclear energy and COP27:
This year COP27 climate change conference took place in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt from 6th – 18th November. The biggest challenge was to find cost effective energy alternative to run the planet with utmost care. That’s why to and fro discussions occurred on nuclear energy. #Atmos4climate pavilion was introduced this year to all the attending nations. The major point of discussions were financing nuclear build, interplay of low-carbon energy systems, decarbonization beyond electricity, policies taken to promote nuclear energy and last but not the least, how nuclear energy can help in nation building.
Since its inception, we have been using fossil fuel without giving a second thought to it. But now the fossil fuel is reducing in all the parts of the world and presently, its located at the high risk level. That’s why thinking about the alternatives to the fossil fuel became a big paradigm shift for the planet. Fossil fuel will get over soon, and in the mean time, if we can switch to nuclear power or to some other alternative energy sources, then we can exist and still can protect the planet.