Nuclear Power Plant Basics and Challenges
The fundamentals of nuclear power plants, covering the promises and opposition, the dilemma of nuclear waste, permitting processes in the 1970s, reactor safety concerns, accident liabilities, and the phase-out of the US nuclear power industry. Discover the economic, environmental, and strategic aspects surrounding nuclear power generation.
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Presentation Transcript
What was the Promise of Nuclear Power? Economic Cost Power too cheap to meter Nuclear fusion cheap power and no waste Environmental costs of alternatives Coal dirty and dangerous to mine Wind farms, solar, hydroelectric Strategic issues Why did France push for 100% nuclear power? How does global warming change the analysis? 2
The Opposition to Nuclear Power Site specific opposition Mothers for Peace General Opposition Sierra Club Nuclear Free Future 3
The Problem of Nuclear Waste Why not just take nuclear waste to the land fill or burn it up? How long does it last? Where do we dispose of nuclear power plant waste in the US? What has stopped the development of a central depository at Yucca Mountain? Where is the waste kept now? Is preventing the disposal of waste a smart strategy for stopping nuclear power? 4
Nuclear Power Plant Permitting in 1970 Building permit Required before construction Required full plans Public hearings were allowed NEPA added in 1968 Operating permit After construction. Public hearings Allowed a second bite at all the objections 5
Reactor Design - Traditional The failure mode is melt down with loss of coolant. 7
Paying for Accidents Price-Anderson Act Allows claims, but limits liability of the industry 1st $300m - private insurance $300M-$10B - risk pool Over $13.6B - federal government What would the costs of a big accident include? Japan nearly doubles Fukushima disaster- related cost to $188 billion Who really pays if there is a huge accident? 8
THE END OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE US NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY 9
Three Mile Island - March 28, 1979 Location 11
Whoops! (Washington Public Power Supply System) A $2 Billion Blunder 12
Chernobyl - 26 April 1986 A graphite reactor without a containment vessel. The reactor itself burned when it melted and created a huge cloud of radioactive particles. 13
Fukushima Accident 2011 Images Information on the accident: http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and- Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima-Accident/ 14
Stopped here 15
Where are We Now? Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Begins Slow Process of Closing What is drive nuclear power out of business? New England Using More Natural Gas Following Vermont Yankee Closure What are the carbon implications? New York Offers $7.6 Billion Bailout To Some Nuclear Plants, Forces Others To Shut Down Why? 16
How do you Protect the Environment? Containment Seismic and flood safety Fail safe reactor designs A future for nuclear energy: pebble bed reactors Modular reactors Manage fuel properly Can you eliminate all risk? What are the tradeoffs? 17
Background for Vermont Yankee Atomic Energy Commission until 1974 Regulates both bombs and civilian uses of atomic energy. Both promotes and regulates. Nuclear Regulatory Commission starts 1974 Only regulates NRC fast track program for new reactors NEPA Passed better the issuance of the building permit and the operating permit. 18
