The evolution of nuclear energy. Opportunities for the industry

• Autores: Mª Teresa Domínguez
• Localización: Nuclear España: Revista de la Sociedad Nuclear española, ISSN 1137-2885, Nº. 343, 2013, págs. 53-57
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • At the turn of the XXI century, the world energy context underwent a significant change due mainly to the increases in the demand for energy in the developing countries, a rise in gas prices and increased government support of clean energies in response to environmental issues. These boundary conditions led rapidly to renewed interest in nuclear energy worldwide. The phrase “a Renaissance in nuclear energy” was included in almost all energy forecasts. Unexpectedly, however, just ten years later the panorama changed once again: unconventional gas appeared as a new energy source, the world financial crisis hampered investment, and the demand for energy fell. This panorama has lowered expectations with regard to the size of the nuclear energy renaissance to a less bouyant but more balanced scenario of nuclear energy deployment that we could now dub as the “evolution of nuclear energy”.

    This article describes how fission nuclear energy has continuously been evolving to adjust itself to these changing scenarios and, in particular, how it is being adapted itself to today’s vision of the role of the nuclear energy in the long term.

    The analysis in this paper focuses on those programs that could bring opportunities for Spanish nuclear industry participation.

    Starting with the development programs affecting existing reactors already in operation, the analysis moves on to the new builds of Light Water Reactors (LWR) Generation III+, to then address, in two sections, Research Reactors and finally, the opportunities presented by Generation IV technologies. The development of fusion technology is not covered in this paper