Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the present man made control system can guaranty the safe energy production
in nuclear reactor to be utilized for heat and electricity production. There have
been several attempts to design so called the inherently safe nuclear reactor
without success. The potential possibility to design a nuclear reactor system
with the inherently safe characteristic may open new path for the nuclear
energy utilization.
The presently available nuclear energy system is constructed with the
engineering design of the control system and is subject to the potential
probability to the mail function. The potential hazard event in the present
nuclear reactor system has developed a great public concern for the safety of
nuclear energy system. The hazard events in Three Mile Island reactor and
Chernobyl reactor have developed the public awareness of the potential
catastrophic events.
It is important to realize the benefit which has been gained by the
utilization of nuclear power systems. In 2006 the total installed nuclear
capacity in the world was 370 GWe, or 15 % of electricity production capacity
in the world [1] Nuclear power plants electricity production is contributing to
local electricity production in 15 countries. In this moment there are 26 new
nuclear power plants are in construction. This will lead to the total nuclear
power capacity 390 GW. Presently, by the operation nuclear power plants
there is production about 14 000 t/year of radioactive waste [2]. Under
assumption that the same type of reactor will be utilized in 2050 the total
amount of radioactive waste will be about 30 000 t/year. The quality of nuclear
energy in general terms can be assessed as the opportunity with limited value.
Due to the potential hazard, it is be very difficult to visualize the nuclear
energy as the reliable source of sustainable energy. In summarizing this
evaluation, the nuclear energy can be seen as the temporary solution in the
specific geographical region. From this point of view it is obvious that the
nuclear energy has a limited property to be introduced as the sustainable
option for the medium term energy source. It is of the great importance to
accept that the high potential of the nuclear energy is envisaged in the long
term energy strategy.
3.6.2. Sustainable Nuclear Energy
―10 years after Rio‖ the Johannesburg 2002 Conference [3] was the next
UN Conference devoted to Plan of Implementation of the Rio Declaration
focused to the elaboration of the concrete measures of the sustainable
