Why are we so scared of Nuclear? The UK to accelerate the development of new nuclear reactors

A recent announcement from the UK government will see 8 new nuclear reactors being commissioned by 2030, but some believe this is the wrong path to take. Why is the UK turning to nuclear energy, why are so many afraid of nuclear power, and how does the introduction of nuclear energy realise the achievement of climate protesters?

Why is the UK turning to nuclear energy?

Recently, the UK government announced that it intends to open up 8 new nuclear sites in the course of the next 10 years with the goal of producing 24GW of power while simultaneously looking to install new offshore wind farms that will produce 50GW of power. According to the government, the current power strategy sees one nuclear site opened every decade, and this would mean that the construction of 8 sites by 2030 would be the most extensive nuclear construction plan to date. But why is the UK government looking towards nuclear energy as a major power source?

There are numerous reasons why turning to nuclear power is advantageous for the UK long term. The first is that the Ukraine Russia war has demonstrated to the whole world how dependent western nations are on Russia and China for energy and resources. It can be said that western nations provide an element of stability that Russia and China cannot, and thus moving away from dictatorial countries will ensure that energy prices and resources remain predictable.

The second advantage to moving away from Russian oil for energy is that it strengthens the defence of NATO and, by extension , the west. All modern militaries are dependent on energy and oil. Ensuring that the supply of both are secure prevents outside invaders from crippling a nation's capacity to fuel vehicles and run equipment.

The third advantage of using nuclear energy is that nuclear power is extremely clean compared to coal and gas. Of course, nuclear waste is generated, but the operation of nuclear stations does not emit CO2, which will allow the UK to reach its carbon emission targets in the fight against climate change. 

The fourth advantage of nuclear energy for use in the UK is that the amount of land needed by a nuclear site is significantly smaller than that required by renewables. According to NEI, a 1GW nuclear site would require one square mile of land, while a 1GW wind farm would require 360 square miles. Thus, nuclear power stations are a very space-efficient power source compared to other renewables.

Why are so many afraid of nuclear energy?

It would seem that nuclear energy is the ultimate energy source for the short-term in fighting climate change, yet, environmentalists often argue against nuclear power in favour of wind and solar . But what exactly are the arguments against nuclear energy? 

In most cases, the first argument is the waste generated, which is an understandable threat. Simply put, nuclear waste takes an extremely long amount of time to become biologically safe (in the order of tens of thousands of years). This means that nuclear waste needs to be stored carefully in multiple layers of metal and concrete and then stored in a facility that will protect it for thousands of years to come.

The second most cited reason against nuclear energy is that its radioactivity could become a threat to local wildlife, and a meltdown can potentially spread lethal amounts of radiation to the surrounding area. This has happened only a handful of times in the past, but when it does happen, it is disastrous (see Chernobyl and Fukushima).

The third reason often cited is cost. It turns out that nuclear energy is a costly energy source to use as one has to consider the construction of the site, the mining of uranium, and the eventual decommissioning of the reactor. Thus, it makes economic sense to use solar or wind, which does not have such high manufacturing, maintenance, and decommissioning costs. 

The fourth reason is that uranium mining is a nasty process that can see large portions of the environment destroyed. Several tons of earth often need to be mined to get even the smallest amounts of uranium (rich sites will have anywhere between 2 and 5 ppm in the crust), and this sees large amounts of land destroyed. This can be especially damaging to local wildlife as mining operations typically concentrate harmful compounds such as lead, mercury, and arsenic, which often wash into rivers and streams. 

How does the introduction of nuclear energy help the UK achieve its climate goals?

Before we look at how nuclear energy really is the solution to a reduced carbon climate, we first need to address a significant problem with climate activists and the stance against nuclear energy; it is often based on emotion and hypocrisy.

Those who would deny climate change, its impact, or its cause will often have the book on climate research thrown at them by activists. This argument is based on the fact that scientific research has shown that the climate really is changing and that CO2 levels and human activity have gone up almost identically. Not listening to the scientists is backwards as it is simply the denial of scientific fact, which is truth.

But, this is where the conversation around nuclear energy gets interesting . When scientific facts are presented to those against nuclear energy, they will often ignore the science and turn to an emotional point of view. 

To start, the worry of nuclear power stations releasing radiation during regular operation is outright wrong. In fact, it turns out that coal plants release orders of magnitude more radioactive material than nuclear sites into the atmosphere as coal contains trace amounts of thorium and uranium. Nuclear plants, however, have strict measures to ensure that radioactive elements do not leak out of reactors. Frequent testing of the surrounding area ensures that radioactive compounds are adequately monitored and contained.

The idea of using renewables instead of nuclear power is a great idea until the wind stops blowing or the sun stops shining. One of the big advantages of nuclear energy is that it must always output the same amount of power to remain stable. This comes from the fact that it takes a long time to turn a reactor on or off, and so sudden energy demands on the grid cannot be met by nuclear. While this may sound like a disadvantage, it is an ideal way to get consistent, reliable power to the grid. So renewable energies can work well in tandem with nuclear (as you cannot rely 100% on nuclear). Still, you could never rely totally on renewable energy without having an energy storage solution that works on scale.

Finally, it cannot be denied that nuclear energy produces such minor amounts of carbon dioxide, which is one of the primary greenhouse gasses. While wind and solar do not produce CO2 during their operation, they produce CO2 during their manufacture (especially solar panels). It can take a decade to offset their carbon impact on the environment. Nuclear power allows for society to continue its growth while producing virtually no CO2, no toxic emissions, or particulates that contribute to health issues such as asthma.

If the UK is to meet its climate targets soon, then nuclear energy is absolutely the way to go. The increasing number of electric cars on the road will put too much pressure on renewable energy sources that will not be reliable . The use of oil and gas to make up for the sudden change in energy demand will see CO2 production increase. Nuclear allows us as a nation to move away from Russian oil, reduce our CO2 levels, and provide an energy sector that combines the best of renewables and nuclear.