Data Sheet No. 130 - Alternative Energy—Perspective and Relationship to Nuclear Power

Abstract

This chapter presents an overview of the nuclear power. There has been an increasing interest in the search for other forms of energy than fossil fuels. The first manifestation of this was the generation of nuclear power in the 1950s. Nuclear reactors provide electricity at half to two-thirds the price of fossil fuel, without atmospheric pollution. Thermal reactors extract the heat released from the nuclear chain reaction occurring with fission of isotope uranium-235. Natural uranium consists of about 0.7% U235 and the world resources of uranium can only provide enough of this material to last about 30 years. When thermal reactors operate, they produce another material, plutonium, which can also be used to undergo a nuclear chain reaction involving fission, with the release of heat. If this material is burned in another type of reactor, it can produce more fissile material than it consumes. Hence, these plants are called breeder reactors. Breeder reactors can produce almost limitless supply of energy, which can be used to produce electricity on a large scale.