Update of the Future of Nuclear Power Study
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2009, 21 p.
In 2003 a group of MIT faculty issued a study on The Future of Nuclear Power. The study was motivated by growing concern about global warming and the urgency of developing and deploying electricity generating technologies that do not emit CO2 or other greenhouse gases (GHG). The study addressed the steps needed in the near term in order to enable nuclear power to be a viable marketplace option at a time and at a scale that could materially mitigate climate change risks. In this context, the study explicitly assessed the challenges of a scenario in which nuclear power capacity expands from approximately 100 GWein the United States in 2000 to 300 GWe at mid-century (from 340 to 1000 GWe globally), thereby enabling an increase in nuclear power’s approximately 20%share of U.S. electricity generation to about 30% (from 16% to 20% globally). The important challenges examined were (1) cost, (2) safety, (3) waste management, and (4) proliferation risk. In addition, the report examined technology opportunities and ne ds, and offered recommendations for research, development, and demonstration. The 2003 MIT study on The Future of Nuclear Power, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, has had a significant impact on the public debate both in the United States and abroad and the study has influenced both legislation by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) nuclear energy R&D program. This report presents an update on the 2003 study. Almost six years have passed since the report was issued, a new administration in Washington is formulating its energy policy, and, most importantly, concern about the energy future remains high. We review what has changed from 2003 to today with respect to the challenges facing nuclear power mentioned above. A second purpose of this Update is to provide context for a new MIT study, currently underway, on The Future of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, which will examine the pros and cons of alternative fuel cycle strategies, the readiness of the technologies needed for them, and the implications for near- term policies.
The Future of Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), September 2010, 36 p.
Uranium supplies will not limit the expansion of nuclear power in the US or around the world for the foreseeable future, according to a major new interdisciplinary study produced under the auspices of the MIT Energy Initiative. The study challenges conventional assumptions about nuclear energy. It suggests that nuclear power using today’s reactor technology with a once-through fuel cycle can play a significant part in displacing the and thus help to reduce the potential for global climate change. But determining the best fuel cycle for the next generation of nuclear power plants will require more research, the report concludes The report focuses on what is known as the “nuclear fuel cycle”—a concept that encompasses both the kind of fuel used to power a reactor (currently, most of the world’s reactors run on mined uranium that has been enriched, while a few run on plutonium) and what happens to the fuel after it has been used (either stored on site or disposed of underground—a “once-through” cycle—or reproce sed to yield new reactor fuel). A summary report of the study was released on September 16. The full report, including all the appendices, will be released later this year.
Predisposal Management of Radioactive Waste
IAEA Safety Standards Series, 2009. 38p.
There are a large number of facilities and activities around the world in which radioactive material is produced, handled and stored. This Safety Requirements publication presents international consensus requirements for the management of radioactive waste prior to its disposal. It provides the safety imperatives on the basis of which facilities can be designed, operated and regulated. The publication is supported by a number of Safety guides that provide up to date recommendations and guidance on best practices for management of particular types of radioactive waste, for storage of radioactive waste, for assuring safety by developing safety cases and supporting safety assessments, and for applying appropriate management systems.
IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency
Abstract
The proper disposal of sewage sludge (SS) interferes, directly or indirectly, in the life of the whole society. In Brazil, the sewage sludge is usually disposed in landfills, when they exist. Besides the high cost, which can represent up to 50% of the cost of operating a sewage treatment plant (STP), the disposal of this waste, with high organic load, further aggravated the problem of urban waste management. The recycling of organic matter and nutrients present in this waste is the main benefit for the environment, which can also partially replace the use of chemical fertilizers. At the time when long-term studies on this subject were started, the Brazilian edafo-climatic conditions were incipient to serve as the only basis for establishing a national standard. Thus, the Resolution CONAMA No. 375 was published based only on preliminary results available from national research and regulations of other countries. In order to allow further improvements, a review of this Resolution after seven years after its original publication was scheduled. This book is based on the results of the Workshop held at the Agronomy Institute of Campinas (Campinas, SP-Brazil) between May 19 and 20 of 2009, plus other technical opinions. The subjects were addressed by researchers and trained technicians involved for long time with the issue of agricultural use of sewage sludge in Brazil. The invited foreign speakers were Dr Michael Warne (Australia) and Dr. Anthony Hay (USA).
Text in Portuguese
Organizers
Aline R. Coscione
Adriana M. Pires
Thiago Nogueira
Translated by
Kleper de Oliveira Rocha
