1.
Environment Institute
Science Seminar Series 2009
Next Week: Monday 1 June
Why old nuclear power is not new
Presented by: Professor Barry Brook

2.
Energy Futures
Why old nuclear power is not new
Professor Barry W. Brook
Sir Hubert Wilkins Chair of Climate Change
Director of Climate Science, Environment Institute
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
The University of Adelaide
Email: barry.brook@adelaide.edu.au

3.
Disclaimer!
• I am not a Nuclear Physicist, Reactor Engineer, etc.*
• I have no vested interest in any form of commercial energy**
• Everyone can (should) learn what I am about to tell you!***
*But then neither is 99% of other ‘expert commenters’ on nuclear power. For those who care, I’m an Earth
systems scientist and modeller. I read widely though.
**I do own a rooftop PV system and occasionally manage to sell back to the grid. Does that count?
*** So you too, with some effort, can become a ‘nuclear expert’ – or at least much better informed.

4.
Why nuclear power is bad*
• It is a CO2-intensive activity (mining, enrichment, plants)
• It leaves a 100,000 year legacy of radioactive waste
• Uranium supplies will run out in 40 – 200 years
• There is a dangerous risk of nuclear meltdown
• It facilitates nuclear weapons proliferation
• Others (necessity, cost, pace, insurance, water use)
*This is all common wisdom. Of course, that doesn’t make it true.

5.
Okay – time to get rational
• The China (and India) syndrome
• Dispelling the myths (a big topic…)
• Generation III+ (the here and now)
• Generation IV (the near future)
• Limits of renewable energy & EE
• Bottom Line: the basket of eggs

6.
It’s a CO2-intensive energy source
(mining, enrichment, plant operation, fuel storage, etc.)

7.
http://www.withouthotair.com

8.
Weisser, D: A guide to life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from electric
supply technologies (2007) Energy http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2007.01.008

9.
• 2005 OD output = 4,600 tU3O8 = 22 GWe (LWR)
– 192 Terawatt hours per year (SA total = 12 TWh/yr)
• 2020 expanded OD output = 19,000 tU3O8 = 94 GWe
– 794 TWh/yr (3 – 4 x Australia’s total 2020 electricity demand)

10.
Electricity generation comparison: OD substitution
2005 Production Levels
Brown coal (new subcritical): 226 Mt CO2-e
Black coal (supercritical): 181 Mt CO2-e
Natural gas (combined cycle): 111 Mt CO2-e
Nuclear Power (full life cycle): 4 Mt CO2-e
Expanded Mine: 2020 Production Levels
Brown coal (new subcritical): 933 Mt CO2-e
Black coal (supercritical): 747 Mt CO2-e
Natural gas (combined cycle): 458 Mt CO2-e
Nuclear Power (full life cycle): 16 Mt CO2-e

11.
• In 2005, South Australia’s emissions were 28 Mt CO2-e
– 2020 under BAU = 36 Mt CO2-e
• If CPRS 5% target met, Oz in 2020 [all sources] = 530 Mt CO2-e
• OD expansion will ‘save’ 915 Mt CO2-e vs coal
• So almost twice offset Oz total, and for SA = 25 times

12.
Uranium ores will be depleted
in 40 to 200 years

13.
URANIUM Low-enriched uranium for LWR fuel
HAS TWO MAIN
ISOTOPES
95 - 97% is
U-238
Natural uranium
3 - 5% is
U-235
99.3% is
U-238
Highly enriched uranium for weapons
0.7% is
U-235 90% is
U-235
10% is
U-238

14.
THE FATE OF THE MINED URANIUM
TODAY, LESS THAN 1% OF ITS ENERGY IS BEING USED
As mined, uranium is 99.3% U-238, 0.7% U-235. For LWR fuel,
the uranium first goes to an enrichment plant
Mined uranium (after the enrichment process)
DU : 99.75% U-238, 0.25% U-235
After enrichment, some 85% is
left behind as depleted uranium
About 15% becomes enriched
uranium for LWR fuel
EU: 95% U-238
In today’s LWR throwaway fuel cycle 5% U-235
about 5% of the EU gets used; the
rest is considered “waste”

15.
USED LWR FUEL All of it is now treated as waste, but it’s not
The REAL
waste
With this portion consumed (in fast reactors),
dangerous activity is gone in 300 years

16.
LWR FUEL CYCLE TODAY
Enriched
Depleted
Used fuel
Isolation mandated for
10,000 years or more
Reprocessing, as done in France, raises
fuel utilization to 6%, vs 5% for the U.S. once-through cycle

17.
FUEL CYCLE WITH FAST REACTORS
simplified
Used
Processing Fuel for
LWR fuel fast reactor
Uranium for
make-up
Waste
(fission products --
Fast-reactor power plant
no plutonium)
Reactor
Refreshed
fuel Steam
Recycling;
Fuel fabrication Spent fuel
Permanent disposal With enough fast reactors, no more
Isolation needed mining, milling, or enrichment of uranium
for only 300 years will be needed for centuries – enough
uranium is already on hand.

18.
PROCESSING STREAMS
with fast reactors deployed
and before used thermal-reactor fuel has been exhausted
ALL THE PLUTONIUM AND
USED LWR FUEL OTHER TRANSURANICS,
MIXED WITH SOME URANIUM Fast-reactor plant
Fuel
fabrication
MOST OF THE
Uranium as needed
URANIUM for make-up fuel
0.8% U-235
FISSION
Stored for PRODUCTS
future use
WASTE
DISPOSITION

19.
EVENTUAL FAST-REACTOR FUEL CYCLE
Decades hence -- after the Pu and other transuranics from used
thermal-reactor fuel have been exhausted
Stored uranium left over Fast-reactor power plant
from used thermal Reactor
reactor fuel
Uranium for make-up, from Refreshed
Steam
one source or the other. fuel
One ton per year per 1 GWe
power plant
Stored DU left over from Recycling Spent fuel
past enrichment activity
Waste Disposal To fuel fast reactors, no more
Fission products only – no plutonium mining, milling, or enrichment of
One ton per year per 1 GWe power plant uranium will be needed for
Isolation needed for only 300 centuries – a lot of uranium has
years already been mined.

20.
It leaves a 100,000 year legacy
of radioactive waste

21.
There is a dangerous risk of
nuclear meltdown

22.
It facilitates weapons proliferation

23.
800
600
GW(e)
high
400 low
history
200
0
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030
Necessity, pace, cost, insurance

24.
CEFR (China)
20 MWe (2009)
PFBR (India)
500 MWe (2010)

25.
More information, discussion,
references for slides and presentation
downloads:
bravenewclimate.com

26.
Environment Institute
Science Seminar Series 2009
Next Seminar: 15 June – 3pm
How can we help biodiversity adapt to
the ravages of climate change?
Presented by: Professor Andrew Lowe