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A Comparison of the Radioactive Waste Produced for Different Nuclear Energy Development Scenarios

Climate change is increasingly affecting humanity. Electrical energy generation based on nuclear technologies can compete with the other energy generating technologies due to constant capacity factors and low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The specific GHG emissions of nuclear power plants are among the lowest of any electricity generation method. Global primary energy needs rise more slowly than in the past, but still an increase of 25% between today and 2040 is expected according to World Energy Outlook 2018. Electrical energy needs will rise faster than primary energy needs and the electrical energy production has to be with low GHG emissions due to global warming mitigation. We assume in our scenarios that nuclear energy will be global electricity production leader with a percentage of 34, 1 % in the year 2040. In addition, we assume that all thermal power plants will be replaced by uranium or thorium fuel cycle nuclear power plants by the year 2056. This paper describes a comparison of six different long term nuclear energy development scenarios according to production of radioactive waste. In the first scenario only pressurized water reactors (PWR) power plants will be used by the end of this century. In the second scenario PWR power plants will be used until 2050 and after that year fast breeder reactor (FBR) nuclear power plant will be introduced gradually. In the third scenario PWR power plants will be used until 2050 and after that year molten salt thorium reactors (MSTR) power plants will be introduced gradually. These scenarios are compared according to production of radioactive waste (volume and activity).

climate change ; GHG emissions ; fast breeder reactors ; thorium fuel cycle ; radioactive waste

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