What is the Future of Nuclear Power?

The Energy Quarterly section of MRS Bulletin’s June issue discusses, in detail, the future of nuclear power throughout the world, starting with an editorial by Robin Grimes of Imperial College London. With the recent Japanese nuclear disaster, current and future nuclear nations are examining the options for nuclear powered electricity and maintenance of existing nuclear facilities, some of which are entering old age. Germany has decided to halt nuclear energy production¹, whereas the French would prefer to continue with nuclear power.² China and India, with emerging economies and large, growing populations, consider nuclear power a necessity. All of this must be tempered with the global situation regarding the availability of hydrocarbons and coal. The United States is also actively debating the future of nuclear energy. A projection of world energy demand is included below.

Can we learn from our failures and previous accidents? Although much can be done regarding introspections of safety rules and monitoring, there are numerous challenges for the materials community.

1. Bernd Radowitz and Jan Hromadko, "Merkel:German Nuclear Exit Gradual; 2022 Irreversible End-date," The Wall Street Journal, Monday, June 6, 2011;
2. Jon Palfreman, "Why the French Like Nuclear Energy", PBS: Frontline, June 2011;

Comments

[hector lopez]

Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity. Nuclear power plant accidents include the Chernobyl disaster (1986), Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011), and the Three Mile Island accident (1979). So we should think about the serious consequences of nuclear power as an elective energy power. In my opinion, there should more options for energy sources like solar energy or wind energy.

[Augusto]

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