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The Future of Nuclear Energy

After more than two decades of rejection, often unjustified nuclear power is now advocated even by some of the most ardent green scientists aware that other carbon free energy sources cannot be developed in time. Scientists and engineers in nuclear field who are aware of unique advantages of nuclear energy are certainly happy with the change, yet must be careful should support overlook issues associated with the large scale development of nuclear power. Questions about nuclear power can be divided into those of near and intermediate term and those associated with the long term development. Questions of the first group are on nuclear electricity costs, investment costs, plant safety and waste disposal. They are discussd in the first part of the paper. Answers are positive already, or are expected to be on the basis of current developmemts. Longer-term issues include contributions of nuclear energy in transport and industry, sufficiency of nuclear fuel, and nuclear proliferation. It is shown that with more efficient use of uranium and thorium there is no limit to the large scale use of nuclear power. Proliferation safety , on the other hand, is primarily political issue that cannot be resolved by technical fixes ; however it is an essential precondition for the large scale use of nuclear power. Believing that solutions should be sought on the lines similar to those of the old, but farsighted American (Baruch plan) UN proposal in 1946 which envisaged internationalization of nuclear fuel cycle, some possible steps in this direction are discussed

world, future, nuclear energy

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