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The Economic Sense of Nuclear Energy
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Cletus Olebune
courtesy of nel-mag.org
With high probability, the countries of the world will face a decision between greatly expanded nuclear energy and a greatly reduced standard of living. Unless all countries choose badly, the losers will learn from the winners. One of the major requirements for sustaining human progress is an adequate source of energy. The current largest sources of energy are the combustion of coal, oil and natural gas. But as the world struggles to be in compliance with the Kyoto targets for CO2 emission, nuclear energy has presented itself as the best alternative in any aspect one can think of, in electric power system, medicine, manufacturing, and environment.
Sooner or later the world will go for nuclear energy in a big way. If this is to be done in a technologically and economically optimal way, the changes will begin soon. This high cost of combustion energy as a main source, e.g. for central station electricity, is likely to continue, and nuclear energy is likely to remain cheaper. A major advantage of nuclear energy (and also of solar energy) is that it doesn't put carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. How much of an advantage depends on how bad the CO2 problem turns out to be. Meeting growing electricity demand in an environmentally responsible way requires the emission-free power produced by nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy is important for the future of Nigeria because it preserves the environment; provides reliable, affordable electricity; (something Nigeria desperately needs if it wants to become a manufacturing economy) and is essential to energy security and national security.
Economic Performance
Nuclear power plants provide low-cost, predictable power at stable prices and are essential in maintaining the reliability of electric power system – something that Nigeria needs if it wants want become a manufacturing economy.
The energy in one uranium fuel pellet—the size of the tip of your little finger—is the equivalent of 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, 1,780 pounds of coal, or 149 gallons of oil.
To produce one Watt of electricity, it takes 1.0 lbs. of coal/kWh from coal plants using steam turbines, 0.48 lbs. of natural gas from natural gas using steam turbines, 0.37 lbs. of natural gas/kWh using combined cycle technology, 0.58 lbs. of Heavy Oil/kWh using steam turbines, and .0000008 lbs. of Uranium enriched at 4% U235 and 96% U238 for use in a commercial nuclear reactor.
A 100watt light bulb that ran continuously for an entire year would consume 876 kWh. Producing the necessary electricity would require 876 lbs. of coal, 377-324 lbs. of natural gas, 508 lbs. of oil, or 0.0007 lbs. of Uranium enriched to 4% for use in a commercial nuclear reactor.
Environmental Protection
Of all energy sources, nuclear energy has perhaps the lowest impact on the environment, including water, land, habitat, species and air resources. Nuclear energy is the most eco-efficient of all energy sources because it produces the most electricity in relation to its minimal environmental impact.
Nuclear energy is the world's largest source of emission-free energy. Nuclear power plants produce no controlled air pollutants, such as sulfur and particulates, or greenhouse gases. The use of nuclear energy in place of other energy sources helps to keep the air clean, preserve the Earth's climate, avoid ground-level ozone formation and prevent acid rain.
Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
The largest man-made source of radiation is medical diagnosis and treatment, including X-rays, nuclear medicine and cancer treatment. Medical doctors practice specialties that use radiation.
The use of radiation for medical diagnosis and treatment is so widespread that virtually every hospital should have some form of nuclear medicine unit. Most people in the developed economy have already or will eventually undergo medical procedures that use radioactive materials for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Radioactive macro-imaging and tracer medical technologies safely and effectively identify disease, trauma, and abnormal bodily processes. Direct internal and external medical radiation technologies effectively treat disease and are often safer than previous conventional approaches. Radioactive materials are also essential to biomedical research and pharmaceutical drug testing.
Of the 10 Nobel prizes granted in physiology and medicine from 1975 to 1989, 10 were based on research using radioactive materials.
Food Processing and Preservation
In the food processing industry, radioactive materials keep food safe and crops nutritional and plentiful. Irradiation kills bacteria, parasites and insects in food—including listeria, salmonella and potentially deadly E. coli—and retards non-microbial spoilage of certain foods, increasing their shelf life. The food industry is another manufacturing industry area critical to Nigeria’s economic growth, if it will be in a position to feed and educate its citizens.
Food irradiation is not only safe but also has no harmful side-effects on health while providing the important benefit of preventing food-related illness through sterilization, and the use of chemicals. Radiation is used to increase agricultural production by controlling insect pests that destroy crops, developing superior strains of plants, minimizing fertilizer use, and reducing irrigation requirements.
The World Health Organization in 1992 called food irradiation a "perfectly sound food-preservation technology." The head of the group's food safety unit said irradiation is "badly needed in a world where food-borne diseases are on the increase and where between one-quarter and one-third of the global food supply is lost post-harvest."
Industrial Applications
Today, practically every industry uses radioactive materials, both in the manufacturing of products and in the consumer products themselves. Radioisotopes are used in a variety of manufacturing processes to provide measurement and other information, quality control of processes, measurement and other information, and to create new material properties.
Radioactive materials improve manufacturing processes and consumer products. Radiation is used to sterilize baby powder, bandages, contact lens solution and many cosmetics, including false eyelashes and mascara.
Small amounts of a radioactive substance are commonly used as tracers in process materials. They make it possible to track leakage from piping systems, monitor the rate of engine wear and corrosion of processing equipment, observe the velocity of materials through pipes, and gauge system filtration efficiency.
The automobile industry uses radioactive materials to test the quality of steel in cars. Aircraft manufacturers use radiation to check for flaws in jet engines. Can manufacturers use radioactive materials to obtain the proper thickness of tin and aluminum.
Mining and petroleum companies use radionuclides to locate and quantify mineral deposits. Oil, gas and mining companies use them to map geological contours, using test wells and mine boresand to determine the presence of hydrocarbons.
Pipeline companies use radioactive materials to look for defects in welds. Construction crews use radioactive materials to gauge the density of road surfaces and sub-surfaces.
NOTE: The effort here is not to give in-depth use process of nuclear energy but to highlight its uses and advantages. It will be appropriate for six nuclear energy plants in Nigeria, one each for the six zones. Just as six plants should remain a long-term goal, the short-term goal (10 years) should be two nuclear plants – one up north and one in the south. Just as always, the recommendation regarding Nel’s position is just that — a recommendation based upon our view of those issues as it relates to entrepreneurship, manufacturing, management and leadership actions
March 2006, Nel-m.org.
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Together we can build a nation where its economic strength is comparable to its individual citizen's capabilities. A 2020 Nigeria economy where manufacturing is the driving force. We are always glad to hear from you.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR: Cletus E. Olebunne, Is the Executive Director of Nigerian Entrepreneurial Leadership (www.nel-m.org ) An accomplished scientist, and entrepreneur in the global healthcare product distribution. He is the founder of Eastern Pharmaceuticals (www.easternpharmaceuticals.com), a global distributor of healthcare products based in New Jersey. An active member of Regulatory Affairs Professional Society (RAPS), the global pharmaceutical regulatory body, the American Chemical Society, and the American Management Association
(AMA). He focuses on Entrepreneurship – general management and organizational development
The NEL organization seeks to:
1 Support and promote a community of entrepreneurs
2 Promote public understanding of manufacturing entrepreneurship
3 Promote and enhance the role models that reflect the ideals of manufacturing entrepreneurship
4 Be the source for information about best practices in business leadership.
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