This document discusses the debate around replacing nuclear energy with wind turbine energy. While wind turbines are more ecologically friendly than nuclear reactors, they require rare earth metals like neodymium that are primarily sourced from China. A full transition would increase global dependence on China for rare earth metals and potentially issues around scarcity as demand rises. Dismantling nuclear reactors also poses challenges in terms of costs, skilled labor and waste disposal. The document argues the situation needs to be addressed comprehensively with input from various stakeholders to make an informed decision.

1. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Ecological War or Metals War?

2. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Decision Point

3. Is it politics?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

4. Does it deal with metals?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

5. These technologies are both used to produce electricity.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

6. Why politicians are fighting with these 2 concepts?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

7. Because using wind-turbine seems more ecological
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

8. While using nuclear energy seems more dangerous.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

9. Will we go green?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

10. Politicians in campaign say that they will stop nuclear plants to replace them by wind-turbine farms.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

11. Will it be the case when elected?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

12. •Nuclear reactors decommissioning.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
•Hydropower energy.
•Solar power energy.
•Wind-turbines energy
What means going green?

13. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Power Today
•Provides almost 20% of world’s electricity (8% in U.S.)
•69% of U.S. non-carbon electricity generation
•104 plants in U.S.
•54 in Japan generating 30% of power in full capacity
•200+ plants in the Europe
•Leader is France with about 80% of its power from nuclear (58 nuclear plants)
•China operates 15, builds 25 and plans 51.

14. What is a nuclear reactor?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

15. It is an “enclosed” system where nuclear reactions are held generating heat to activate turbine with water steam.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

16. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
What is the main feed of a nuclear reactor?
Uranium 65%
Plutonium 35%

17. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
What is the danger of a nuclear reactor?
•Control lost
•Lost of radioactive material
•Waste disposal
•Irradiation

18. Nuclear reactors dismantling is not a common process, it doesn't follow common protocol due to radiation hazard especially.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Dismantling can start more than 20 years after decommissioning starts.

19. Nuclear reactors decommissioning cost between $200-$2,600/KWemeaning from M$400 to M$3,000 per site according to specialists.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

20. How work a wind turbine?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

21. 2,000 to 4,000 wind turbines will replace a single nuclear reactor.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
A wind farm will use 300 times the surface used by a single nuclear reactor.

22. 2,000 wind turbines is equivalent to 1,200 to 2,400 tons of the famous NdBFemagnets in gearless wind turbines.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

23. NdBFemagnets have been discovered in 80s. They are 100 times Stronger than ferrite magnets discovered in early 20s.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Less efficient but cheaper than SmComagnets, an other RE (Rare Earth) magnet discovered in 70s.

24. What is Rare Earth (RE)?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

25. RE Resources
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
•China 31%
•CIS 22%
•USA 15%
•Australia 6%
•India 1%
•Malaysia
•Malawi
•South Africa
•Namibia
•Madagascar
•Democratic Republic of the Congo
•Burundi
}
<1%

26. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Dysprosium
Praseodymium Fluoride PrF3
Sublimed Ytterbium Metal
Neodymium
REO
Pr
Ce
La
Nd
Sm
Gd

27. RE production is responsible of important pollution especially in China as this country is the actual supplier of 95 to 97% of rare earth material.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

28. Buying more RE material from the main RE supplier is increasing scarcity factor giving as well more pressure on RE prices.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

29. China is lowering RE export for environmental point of view and for its own purpose.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy

30. Stopping plenty nuclear reactors is it the right choice?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
•while money for dismantling and land remediation per site is so important and often not available.
•while skilled dismantlers are not ready.
•while everybody know that resources are limited?

31. Moving from nuclear reactors to wind- turbines energy is it the right choice?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
•while countries will have to change material sourcing
•while changing material sourcing means often changing dependency
•while changing material means often increasing scarcity

32. Moving from nuclear reactors to wind turbines energy is not as people or politicians may think only a challenge between nuclear energy and green energies,
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
it is also a metals war and should be addressed properly to miner, metallurgist, environmentalist and economists.

33. Talking about moving from nuclear reactors to wind-turbines energy means:
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
•a good knowledge of nuclear reactor dismantling
•a good knowledge of alternate resources especially RE
•a good knowledge of RE production environmental impact
•a good comparisons of energy vs. surface ratio

34. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Talking about moving from nuclear energy to wind energy is not so smart.

35. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
There is hope.

36. Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Thank You
Roger Rumbu, Met. Eng.
@Roger Rumbu