Concept of Nuclear Power

The Chernobyl Disaster

Back in 1986, there was a nuclear power plant explosion in Chernobyl, a city alongside the Belarus and Ukraine borders. The people together with animals and all living beings in the region had to suffer diseases and deaths so much so that the radioactive substance dusted in air is not cleared out and the forests and surrounding lands are affected by the poisonous reactions of nuclear radiations until the present.This accident is popularly known as the Chernobyl disaster.

It occurred in 1986, a century ago, when the nuclear power plant was just created. There weren’t any sufficient preventive measures taken to ensure the safe containment and design of the power plant. The initiative was capable of changing the world of nuclear power, had it worked successfully. Because, nuclear source of power is the cleanest and most efficient source of energy provided the power plants are designed ensuring utmost safety.

Environmental safety- Protection from Green house gases

The thing about nuclear power because of which it’s mostly preferred and favored is that it doesn’t produce greenhouse gases which are the most hazardous emissions for the environment and are produced by biofuels or fossil fuel plants. Nuclear power plants are opted to replace and preferred overbiofuels because the greenhouse gases produced by the latter are accelerants of pollution and global warming. Where on the other hand, there’s no concept of escape of gases or radiations from a nuclear power plant. Well, the Chernobyl disaster was indeed a misfortune, but the chances of similar accidents in futureare from 0.001% to none as per the researchers today keeping in mind the well-designed power plants.

Increased demand of electricity

Nuclear power should be the most desirable source of energy at present because the potential a nuclear power plants has to meet the high electricity demand in the world is unbeatable by any other source. About a pound of uranium is capable for producing gas not less than a million gallons. Yes, repeating the figure;only one pound of uranium!

How is Nuclear Power Produced?

The process which produces nuclear energy is called nuclear fission, which breaks an atom of uranium into two, bombarding the nucleus and releasing the neutrons. The yield of neutrons from the process of fission produces immense amount of energy which is stored in the nuclear power plants. The energy produced is ready to be used and produce electricity.

How safe are today’s nuclear reactors and why is there improbability of Chernobyl like disasters?

The nuclear reactors presently are manufactured using all possible measures to ensure their safe operation. Contained in solid liners, which are additionally housed in a huge vessel of steel, the nuclear reactors are designed with the guarantee that there won’t be any leakage of radioactive substances. To avoid the chances of nuclear plant accidents driven by natural calamities, the complete power plants are kept in the buildings that are completely disaster proof, for example, buildings that are capable of withstanding earthquakes and even bomb blasts.

Currently, about 430 power plants enriched with nuclear power are engaged in producing about 15% of the world’selectricity, and 2% of the entire world’s energy.

Key Facts and Statistics about Neuclear Power

• As per Statista, nuclear power of about 2.5 petawatt hours was generated worldwide in 2017.
• The United States is the largest nuclear energy’s consumer in the whole world.
• More than 20% of the US electricity is produced by nuclear power.
• Around 104 nuclear power plants are active in the United States.
• Globally, more than 400 nuclear reactors are commercially generating energy for thirty-one countries.
• More than 6 billion dollars are needed to build a new reactor for an active nuclear plant.
• Worldwide, nuclear medicine is applied to the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases.