Present Day 1. The UK Currently only one generation III nuclear reactor is under construction in the UK, at Hinkley Point C. Construction was started in December 2018 and EDF plan to start generating electricity from one of the 2 reactors (each of 1.6GW capacity) by June 2026. In addition, plans are under discussion between EDF, the China General Nuclear Power and the UK government, about replacing the nuclear power stations at Sizewell B, in Suffolk, and Bradwell, Essex with generation III reactors of 3.2GW and 2.2GW capacity respectively. A further development is that support for nuclear...

Biomass is a big topic, with a little name. It means many different things to many different people. Consequently, there is a wide variation in how to measure it - which is why you will see shaded areas of variability on bar charts which include it. Therefore, we need to define some terms before we begin this article. So here goes, with our basic definitions: - Biomass: organic material used as fuel, especially in a power station for the generation of electricity - Bio-Energy: any form of organic fuel used for any purpose, including electricity generation, heating, cooking stoves, bioethanol...

Introduction The first nuclear power stations were developed in the 1950s. Since then, hundreds of nuclear power stations throughout the world have generated low carbon electricity, reliably, safely and with capacity factors (these are explained below) increasing from 60-70% in the Generation II nuclear power stations to between 80-90% in the Generation III and Generation IV Power Stations. Hinkley Point C is an example of a Generation III station. Initially (1960 and 1970s) there was a rapid development of civil nuclear power in the US. Technical feasibility was established very early but...

Nuclear power has an important role to play in helping the UK and world achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. All main political parties, including the Green Party of England and Wales, include some level of nuclear power when stating in their manifestos how they aimed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for energy supply by 2050 or earlier. The debate though has become very polarised between supporters and opponents of nuclear power. Our main aim is to try and address the various pros and cons for nuclear power in an objective and factual manner. We recognise that this question...

The science bit: An introduction to atomic structure and nuclear reactions The atom consists of a nucleus and electrons in orbits surrounding the nucleus. The tiny electrons are packets of energy with a negative charge whereas the nucleus consists of two particles (protons and neutrons) of equal weight. The mass of the nucleus accounts for 99.975% of the weight of the atom with the electron accounting for only 0.025%. The proton has a positive charge and the atoms of each element have the same number of protons but can have different numbers of neutrons giving rise to the concept of...

Physical Footprint comparison: nuclear, solar & wind The power density for nuclear is about 1000W/m2 compared with 2-3 W/m2 for wind and 100 W/m2 for solar (data taken from here). If the differences in capacity factors are taken into account these values suggest that to generate the same amount of energy, wind farms will require 500 as much land, and solar farms (assuming 20% efficiency) about 50 as much. We will compare the amounts of land used (0.67 sq. mile) for the 3.2 GW nuclear power station (Hinkley Point C) with examples of wind and solar farms to see how these figures work out...

Radiation Radiation is ubiquitous. We are all constantly exposed to varying levels of ionizing radiation. It comes from natural radon gas (from decaying natural uranium in the ground), cosmic radiation (from the interaction between photons & alpha particles from outer space and the Earth’s atmosphere) and even the food & drink (bananas, brazil nuts, red meat, carrots and some bottled spring water). For cosmic radiation, exposure increases with altitude. So that air crews are officially designated as ‘radiation workers.’ Every transatlantic flight will on average expose each passenger...

Nuclear Lifetime Extensions and Uprating Plant lifetime extensions and retirements Most nuclear power plants originally had a nominal design operating lifetime of 25 to 40 years, but engineering assessments have established that many can operate longer. By the end of 2016, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had granted licence renewals to over 85 reactors, extending their operating lifetimes from 40 to 60 years. Such licence extensions at about the 30-year mark justify significant capital expenditure needed for the replacement of worn equipment and outdated control systems. In...