International Relations (8)Nuclear Power for Alternate

Energy 2009. 10. 20

bkkim9@gmail.com

김 병 구

Energy Alternatives

Understanding Nuclear

• Double faces of the atom– Military: Hiroshima/Nagasaki, NK– Peaceful: nuclear power, medical, agriculture,

etc.

• Electricity from nuclear power plants– Single largest peaceful application– 440 NPPs in operation worldwide today– Only 30 countries with high-tech infrastructure– Delivering ~ 17% of world’s electricity

Brief History

• 1895 X-ray invention by Roentgen• 1932 Einstein, Theory of Relativity E=mC*2• 1942 First nuclear fission by Fermi CP-1• 1945 Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bombs• 1953 Eisenhawer, Atoms for Peace • 1956 First NPP Calder Hall (UK)• 1957 International Atomic Energy Agency

(IAEA) created

Brief History (2)

• 1958 Korea, first Atomic Energy Law• 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty• 1978 Korea, first NPP Kori-1 operation• 1980 Korea, NPP technical self-reliance• 1986 Chernobyl accident (USSR)• 2005 IAEA Nobel Peace Prize• 2009 Major nuclear arms reduction

What is Nuclear Power?

• Turbine/generator by heat from uranium • Burn uranium fuel instead of fossil fuel

– Energy density 1,000,000 times higher than fossil– Fuel cost only 20% of total generation cost

• Nuclear fuel fabrication: high-tech, precision• Reactor manufacture: high pressure/temp• Safety philosophy: multiple redundancy• Waste disposal : small volume, toxic, long-

term storage

Nuclear Power Generation                                                             

  

Nuclear Fuel Cycle?

• Uranium ore refined – yellow cake• Uranium conversion, enrichment– 2% ~ 4%

low enriched uranium (LEU)• Nuclear fuel burns in reactor (~ 3 years)• Spent nuclear fuel contains plutonium • Radwaste treatment and disposal• Named after the new solar stars Uranus (

천왕성 ), Pluto ( 명왕성 )

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle - Closed Mining

Conversion

Enrichment

Fuelfabrication

Nuclear Power Plant

Reprocessing

Waste

UraniumPlutonium

Nuclear Power World Status

• 30 countries operate 439 NPPs (2007)– 1. USA 104 units (19%)– 2. FRA 59 units (77%)– 3. JPN 55 units (28%)– 4. RUS 31 units (16%)– 5. ROK 20 units (35%)Nuclear electricity 15% of world total

• New NPP constructions mainly in Asia– INA(6), RUS(6), CPR(5), ROK(8)

Nuclear Power World Prospects

• Nuclear renaissance in 40 years– Proven record of economy and safety– Climate change, low carbon green growth– Energy security from oil, natural gas

• Double the NPP capacity by 2030– Existing: life extension, new NPPs– New comers: Gulf Countries, TUR, BYE, KAZ, VIE,

etc.

Nuclear Power Status in Korea• 20 units in operation, 8 units under construction

– Kori, Wolsung, Ulchin, Yonggwang– Localization rate 85% in design, manufacturing, const.– Long term supply contract for uranium fuel

• Base load production, nuclear share 35%– Midnight electricity rate– Radwaste disposal site (Gyungju)

• National infrastructure well developed– High quality, low cost electricity (2% of GDP)– Essential element of the high-tech economy