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There are two methods of producing nuclear energy, fission and fusion. Both methods are explored on this web site.
From an electricity utility perspective nuclear energy released via fast neutron fission of heavy elements is the only practical source of non-fossil energy that can sustainably and economically completely displace fossil fuels.
The sun is powered by fusion so renewable energy is actually fusion energy. However, due to the rotation of planet Earth about its axis and due to the inclination of that axis with respect to Earth's orbital plane at any particular point on Earth's surface renewable energy generation is both intermittent and seasonal. Solar and wind electricity generators require efficient daily and seasonal energy storage and related efficient long distance transmission to convert interruptible electricity into uninterruptible electricity. These conversion costs are often prohibitive. It is usually more practical to price uninterruptible electricity and interruptible electricity differently so that applications that require uninterruptible electricity pay the related extra costs.
Advances in Fast Neutron Reactor (FNR) technology have rendered obsolete past concerns about reactor safety and reactor spent fuel waste disposal. However, the present wasteful use of the limited inventories of U-235 and Pu-239 as fuels for water moderated reactors is an enormous concern. As fossil fuels are phased out until fast neutron reactors with fuel recycling are fully implemented the sustainable amount of uninterruptible power will be constrained by the available U-235 and Pu-239 inventories.
Other than via renewable energy, fusion based electricity generation is difficult and expensive to realize on Earth. As long as low cost fission fuel is available, the cost per kWhe of Earth based fusion energy will remain several times the cost per kWhe of Earth based fission energy. However, once the supply of U-235 contained in mineable natural uranium is exhausted that assumption may no longer be true. The cost per kg of obtaining uranium from low concentration sources such as coal ash and the oceans is likely at least two orders of magnitude higher than the cost per kg of mined uranium today. The possible avenues of future fuel cost relief are breeding of Pu-239, U-233 and H-3 in FNRs and mining He-3 from the surface of the moon. In theory it is possible to breed H-3 in fusion reactors, but sustaining controlled fusion reactions on Earth is extremely difficult.
It is the intent of this author to eventually produce web pages addressing all of the above mentioned topics.
This web page last updated April 11, 2018.
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