I Nuclear power plant vs coal power plant efficiency

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Coal and nuclear power plants have similar thermal efficiency rates of around 30%, meaning that only a fraction of thermal energy is converted into electricity. However, nuclear plants produce significantly more thermal energy per unit of fuel due to the high energy density of uranium compared to carbon. Despite the similar efficiency percentages, the overall energy output from nuclear power is much greater, making it a more powerful energy source. Nuclear energy is also cleaner than coal, as it does not emit greenhouse gases during operation, although it does produce radioactive waste. The main challenges for nuclear energy remain its higher costs and the management of waste, but its reliability and lower environmental impact position it favorably against fossil fuels.
  • #31
russ_watters said:
Nuclear's main downside is cost, but that's a complicated and partly non-technical issue
My anti-nuke slip may be showing (my age and upbringing) but I am gradually warming to the idea of nuclear. The worst non-technical issue is the massive timescales involved and the frequent (apparently) failure to implement plans to completion.
UK is actually a small country and progress / survival of large infrastructure projects has not been impressive. Long-termism doesn't seem to apply here. So the future of our nuclear energy supply worries me. It's too important to be left in the hands of people who only look to the next general election and a seat in the House of Lords.
 
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  • #32
sophiecentaur said:
I am gradually warming to the idea of nuclear.
Good...because so is the planet. <rimshot>

(This thread is the best ever for straight lines!)
 
  • #33
sophiecentaur said:
My anti-nuke slip may be showing (my age and upbringing) but I am gradually warming to the idea of nuclear. The worst non-technical issue is the massive timescales involved and the frequent (apparently) failure to implement plans to completion.
From a technical standpoint, loss of expertise in nuclear construction and operation is a real problem in western countries that have shirked nuclear. Additional timeline issues exist that are....non-technical.

Let's try to avoid talk of politics here, otherwise this will end up locked like another recent discussion.
 

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