NUCLEAR POWER: STATUS, OUTLOOK, GUARANTEES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
A.S. Cherkasov
Full Text : (195 kB, Eng.)
Abstract
The principal advantages of nuclear power - almost unlimited fuel resources, its high energy capacity, ecological compatibility with a possibility of high wastes` concentration - determine the large-scale nuclear power development. The signs of large-scale power - a large rate (dozens of percent) in electricity production, diverse areas (electricity, heat supply, technologies, transport) and media of application (land, ocean, space), extension of number of user countries, diversified power systems (centralized, autonomous), obligatory reproduction and reuse of produced fuel - create various requirements to nuclear power installations of the future. Economic efficiency and competitiveness, safety (of reactors and fuel cycle with waste), proper characteristics of nuclear fuel reproduction, guarantees of nuclear arm's non-proliferation and, particularly, public acceptance are the conditions of such nuclear power development. The up-to-date situation is the following: the 441 nuclear power-generation units with total installed power of 377.36 GW el. (in 31 countries) supply by 1/6 part of the world electric-power consumptions. The 32 units are in stage of the construction. To the present mid-century the level of the nuclear power production, as supposed, must be increased 4-5 times at the following scenario of a regional distribution of nuclear electric powers, GW: USA, Europe and developed countries of Eastern Asia - 1000, FSU-countries - 100 and developing countries - 400. |
KEY WORDS: nuclear power, status, fire power, competition, outlook, principal advantages, innovative designs, safety, efficiency, public acceptance, global energy supply. |