Nuclear energy

 What's up with nuclear energy?

Recently, "I'm World" aired an episode on Aotearoa's objective of obtaining 100% renewable electricity.

It's interesting to note that neither fossil fuels nor renewable energy sources received the most comments. It dealt with nuclear energy.

One listener, Derek, commented: "Your essay was fascinating, but made no mention of nuclear fusion, [which] will be the ultimate solution to replace fossil fuel fired power generation for the entire world."

The same point was made by Andrew, another listener: "[Nuclear power] is the lowest carbon intensity, according to IPCC studies... but persona non grata in New Zealand?"

The idea of nuclear power is intriguing on a global scale, but less so for New Zealand.

Once a plant is open and running, its greenhouse gas emissions are actually very low (it's important to note that nuclear plants have significant 'overheads,' both financially and in terms of carbon emissions, as they need a lot of concrete and other materials).

Nuclear reactors reliably and economically produce the base level of electricity.

However, they are viewed as dangerous, which is somewhat understandable given that nuclear power was discovered in an effort to produce the most destructive weapon ever made and that Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima are still fresh in people's minds.

Recent fighting near the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia frightened onlookers who thought a stray rocket could cause another nuclear meltdown.

When asked about the conflict in Ukraine, nuclear physicist David Krofcheck of the University of Auckland gives a full-on facepalm.

"My request to my Russian and Ukrainian friends is that you refrain from firing at the nuclear reactors."

But according to Krofcheck, the concerns that many people have about the threat that nuclear power poses are not always accurate predictions of the world in 2022.

"There is always a need to exercise caution, but when I consider all the energy that has been produced plus the diagnostic spinoffs, energy generation...

That, in my opinion, is more accurate than the justifiably frightening and terrifying occurrences involving the nuclear power facilities at Fukushima and Chernobyl.

The majority of people probably don't want to hear that, but in my opinion, those were the outliers and not the trend.

According to Krofcheck, nuclear energy is created when a heavy nucleus, such as uranium, is induced to split into two lighter pieces, releasing a significant amount of energy.

Water is heated by that energy, which causes it to boil and produce steam, which rotates a turbine and generates power.

According to Krofcheck, "Nuclear power is basically an enormously clever technique to boil water."

Of fact, nuclear facility mishaps can have catastrophic results: the Chernobyl disaster rendered more than 2500 square kilometers of land unusable and may be responsible for thousands of people's early deaths.

However, proponents of nuclear energy may legitimately point out that difficulties resulting from air pollution generated by burning fossil fuels result in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people each year.

"In the two situations we're discussing, you construct a reactor a la the Soviet Union that has since been entirely shut down or extensively redesigned, and you have to be careful where you site them. Perhaps constructing a nuclear power plant in an earthquake prone area is not the best idea.

"I believe it is the price to be paid for the steady energy foundation that societies seek to have."

According to Krofcheck, nuclear power won't likely be required in New Zealand in the near future because there are plenty of ways for us to produce renewable electricity, including hydro, wind, and solar power, as well as large geothermal deposits.

Furthermore, building a large-scale nuclear power plant requires a significant financial investment and a genuine requirement for baseline generation.

There is also the matter of public opinion. New Zealand's nuclear-free policy is still vivid in people's minds and, in a way, contributes to our nation's independence on the international stage.

According to Krofcheck, this could change when nuclear reactors become smaller and more sophisticated methods of handling nuclear waste, which is now housed on-site in barrels, are developed.

But he thinks humanity cannot consider nuclear power as a be-all and end-all: it's a bridge, he argues, between the age of fossil fuels, and the energy paradise of renewables, which should be the ultimate objective.