{"id":482,"date":"2017-07-28T14:59:24","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T13:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/?p=482"},"modified":"2023-06-21T09:29:59","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T08:29:59","slug":"nuclear-power-playing-long-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk\/science-engineering\/2017\/07\/28\/nuclear-power-playing-long-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear power: playing the long game"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the nuclear power industry, you\u2019ll always be playing the long game.<\/p>\n

So, when you\u2019re considering its future, you need to think long-term. And one topic occupying the minds of people in the nuclear power industry right now is the future of its power source.<\/p>\n

Uranium, a silver-grey coloured heavy metal that is weakly radioactive in its natural state, is currently the main source of power for most nuclear fission reactors. It is uranium that\u2019s used to fuel the chain reaction that generates the energy a nuclear power plant produces.<\/p>\n

The Earth\u2019s uranium resources dictate the future of the nuclear industry<\/a> \u2013 and it\u2019s an industry that people are taking a greater interest in. Compared to coal and oil power stations, nuclear plants inflict far less damage on the environment. In fact, nuclear fission releases zero CO2.<\/p>\n

Uranium also provides a lot more energy than fossil fuels. For example, 1kg of uranium produces enough energy to power your home for 166 years. In contrast, 1kg of coal would power your home for less than a day.<\/p>\n

So far, so good, but the availability of uranium is finite. The more we consume, the more our resources will deplete \u2013 and the more its price will rise.<\/p>\n

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This conundrum is addressed in a new paper published in ScienceDirect entitled \u2018Uranium from seawater \u2013 infinite resource or improbable aspiration?\u2019<\/a> The authors (including researchers from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences<\/a> here at The University of Manchester) ask whether it\u2019s time to consider a different type of nuclear power plant \u2013 one that is more economical in its use of uranium \u2013 or whether the focus should be on new ways of obtaining uranium.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at the options below:<\/p>\n

Option 1 \u2013 Fast breeder reactors<\/h2>\n

The amount of uranium stored in the ground is thought to be limited. This means that at some point we will have mined most of it and will no longer be able to rely on it (similar to the problem we face with fossil fuel). As the uranium runs out, its price will rise, and that makes running traditional light water reactor (LWR) nuclear power plants very expensive.<\/p>\n

Fast reactors like fast breeder reactors could provide an alternative. They are able to generate far more energy from the uranium ore used as fuel than traditional LWRs \u2013 60 times more, according to some sources.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the catch? Well, fast breeder reactors still need a lot of investment and development to make them a viable contender for LWRs. Right now, they just don\u2019t make economic sense. However, if uranium prices reach a tipping point, that will all change.<\/p>\n

Option 2 \u2013 Stop prices rising<\/h2>\n

But what if there was a way to halt the rise of uranium prices? Well there is \u2013 and it could be a permanent solution.<\/p>\n

You see, there\u2019s far more uranium in the world\u2019s oceans than there is stored in the ground. It\u2019s estimated that there are around 4 billion tonnes of uranium stored in seawater.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not all. It\u2019s thought that 76,000 tonnes of uranium are contributed naturally to seawater every year from sources like river and glacial particulates and the erosion of coastlines. This means that, in theory, our oceans hold an almost infinite supply of uranium. If we can utilise this, rising prices no longer need to be a concern.<\/p>\n

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What\u2019s the catch?<\/h2>\n

As with most things in life, there\u2019s not just one catch with this solution, but several. To harvest uranium from the sea, it needs to be absorbed, and the most successful method we have currently is a device made from a series of polyethylene plastic braids moored to the seabed that float vertically and catch uranium using amidoxime (oximes of amide) (see image above)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The uranium absorbed by the braids can then be collected by washing with hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. To collect enough uranium to fulfil the world\u2019s current demands, the braids would need to absorb all the uranium present in 21,212\u00a0km3\u00a0of seawater every year – roughly equivalent to the volume of all the North American Great Lakes put together.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019re several complications to consider before this system can be rolled out on a larger scale. For example:<\/p>\n