Nuclear power
- Nuclear power currently supplies around 16% of global electricity supply.
- Nuclear power has unique advantages due to its fuel source – uranium. Uranium has huge energy potential compared with fossil fuels.
- 1 tonne of nuclear fuel is equivalent to burning approximately 120,000 tonnes of coal.
- Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power leads to relatively small quantities of carbon dioxide being released, a greenhouse gas thought to contribute to global warming.
- The annual operation of a 1,000 MWe light water reactor requires an average fuel load of 27 tonnes of uranium dioxide, containing 24 tonnes of enriched uranium. The assemblies containing this are normally supplied in one consignment occupying 4 to 5 trucks.
- Uranium offers a long-term source of energy. Unlike fossil fuels, it can be recycled.
- Spent fuel still contains 96% of the original uranium, 1% of plutonium, and also about 3% of fission waste products. The reusable uranium and plutonium can be used to produce new fuel such as Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.
- MOX fuel has incredible energy potential. Just one MOX fuel pellet has the energy equivalence of one tonne of coal.
Transport
- Transport of nuclear materials has been carried out safely and routinely for over 45 years. During this period there has never been a transport incident that has caused significant radiological damage to people or the environment.
- About 20 million transports of radioactive materials (which may be either a single package or a number of packages sent from one location to another at the same time) take place around the world each year.
- Nuclear power is not the only industry which relies on the transport of radioactive materials. In fact, the vast majority of transports - around 95% - are not fuel cycle related. Radioactive materials are used extensively in medicine, agriculture, research, manufacturing, non-destructive testing and in the exploration of minerals.
