2009 Volume 27, No. 2
Download complete issue (pdf format, The financing of nuclear
power plants
Existing nuclear generating capacity plays an
important role in providing secure, economic
and low-carbon electricity supplies in many OECD
countries. At the same time, there is increasing recognition
that an expansion of nuclear power could
play a valuable role in reducing future carbon dioxide
emissions. However, in recent years only a handful
of new nuclear power plants (NPPs) have been built
in just a few OECD countries. An important reason
for this is the challenges associated with financing
the construction of new NPPs.
Occupational exposures at nuclear power plants worldwide have steadily decreased since the early 1990s. Regulatory pressures, technological advances, improved plant designs and operational procedures, “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) culture and information exchange have contributed to this downward trend. However, with the continued ageing and possible life extensions of nuclear power plants, ongoing economic pressures, regulatory, social and political evolutions, and the potential of new nuclear build, the task of ensuring that occupational exposures are kept as low as reasonably achievable continues to present challenges to radiological protection professionals.
2009 Volume 27
Nuclear power and
the public
Issues such as climate change, energy security
and the longer-term availability of fossil fuels
are causing many governments to reconsider their
national energy policies. Promotion of renewable
energy sources is often a first policy response but,
increasingly, it is being recognised that renewable
sources may only provide a partial solution,
especially in countries where heavy industry or
large cities make intense demands on electricity
supply.
The NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) has been investigating the involvement of stakeholders in decision-aiding and decision-making processes for over a decade. A key conclusion that has resulted from this work is that while the vast majority of radiological protection decisions are informed by science, most decisions concerning public health and safety, or environmental protection, are taken based on broader value-judgement grounds.
electricity: Which role for nuclear?
2008 Volume 26
Nuclear Energy Outlook 2008 - Executive summary
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency launched its first Nuclear Energy Outlook (NEO). It responds to the changing dynamics and renewed interest in nuclear energy and arrives at a moment when energy security, climate change and the cost of energy have become priorities in both short-term and long-term energy policies.
The nuclear industry provides a wide variety of specialised equipment and services to support the construction and operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs). This includes the supply of NPPs themselves, the range of materials and services required in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the services and equipment needed for maintenance and upgrading. The markets to provide these have changed substantially as they have evolved from the government-led early stages of the nuclear industry to predominantly competitive, commercial markets today.
The development of innovative thermonuclear fusion and nuclear fission reactors critically depends on the availability of not only nuclear fuels but also advanced structural and functional materials systems. These have to withstand extreme conditions: high temperatures, intense neutron irradiation, and strongly corrosive environments, in combination with complex loading states and cyclic loading histories. The challenges in the field of nuclear materials range from operation in critical conditions to compliance with the highest levels of safety and protection, while giving due regard to decommissioning, dismantling and waste processing issues.
2007 Volume 25, No. 2
Nuclear energy risks and benefits
in perspective
Energy demand, rising prices, security of
supply, climate change... these are major
issues facing today’s energy policy makers.
In response, the NEA has recently
published a study on Risks and Benefits of
Nuclear Energy in order to provide these
policy makers with authoritative information
in support of their decision making.
The study has also provided much of the
basis for this article.
The possibility of recycling fuel is a very attractive – and nearly unique – feature of nuclear energy systems. The fissile and fertile materials contained in spent nuclear fuels and enrichment plant tails,
for example, may be retrieved and re-used to provide additional energy. Doing so also reduces the amount and radiotoxicity of waste that will ultimately need to be sent to repositories.