Zakariya and Kahn opine that nuclear energy is a proven technology for large scale base load electricity generation which can reduce dependence on imported gas and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, less vulnerable to fuel price changes than coal- and gas-fired power plants. With the discoveries of fertile thorium fuel cycles that offer attractive features, including lower level of waste generation, less dangerous, less expensive, more accessible and more environmentally friendly option for nuclear fuel supply, this is against uranium fuel cycle that most of the present reactors were built on. Furthermore, with the latest innovation of fast breed reactors (FBR) which offer more efficient use of uranium resources and the ability to burn actinides which are otherwise the long-lived component of high-level nuclear wastes. In this submission, we will also look at environmental protection in line with sustainable development and how nuclear energy is in conformity with the environmental protection.
They concluded that the importance of electricity cannot be overemphasized and improving access to electricity worldwide is critical to alleviating poverty. However, the environmental resources available to man, animals, plants and the entire ecosystem are very vulnerable and require strategic planning to carter for our generation and subsequent ones. And to imbibe this concept of sustainable development and sustainable energy, we will require a return to a clean energy that is sustainable: that does not contribute to environmental degradation. But, for nuclear energy to significantly contribute to sustainable energy development we cannot depend on burner reactors that will quickly use earth’s uranium resources. Instead research and development of safer breeder reactors and increase on the research on HTR which is an advanced reactor concept that can meet the energy and environmental needs of future generations will be necessary.
To avoid large stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium, which is being inevitably accumulated, one alternative for the management of plutonium is to incinerate it in the reactors with a thorium based fuel cycle in the HTR which is suitable for burning plutonium most effectively, as well as to minimize the amount to be disposed. A thorium based fuel cycle would produce small amount of toxic fuel waste or long-lived radiotoxic waste, both of which contribute substantially to anxieties about disposal of nuclear waste. Similarly, the global contribution of using fossil as a source of fuel in generating electricity is very high but, the control system of underground coal gasification (UCG) and sequestering is a welcome finding to sustainable development. However, with soaring oil and natural gas prices coupled with worries about global warming due to fossil fuel, nuclear scientist still believe that nuclear energy is a better option as it offers competitively priced, base load electricity which is essentially free of greenhouse gas emissions combined with enhancement of energy supplies security
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