How nuclear can support green applications for a sustainable SA
We often hear about next generation nuclear power plants under development and construction worldwide.
These nuclear power plants are designed from the ground up utilising different philosophies and more importantly, different objectives than conventional light water reactors widely in operation today. Figure 1 illustrates how nuclear power plant designs have evolved since the late 1940s up to early 2030s for both large and small capacity needs.
Conventional light water reactors (covered under Generation I up to Generation III+ in Figure 1) boast an excellent track record regarding safety, reliability and economics. They also produce no greenhouse gas emissions and the waste produced is easy manageable and low in volume (not to mention re-usable through reprocessing).
These plants were, however, designed to produce energy only in the form of electricity. Economics is achieved through economies of scale requiring large capital investments and due to the large plant capacity (1 000MW and more), these nuclear power plants need to be deployed in well-established and appropriately sized electricity grids.
Bjoern Schwarz