John Grant, MPhil, MSc, BA (Hons)Senior Lecturer, Sheffield Hallam UniversityTel: 0114 225 4034Email: j.f.grant@shu.ac.uk

The natural nuclear reactor in the Oklo mine of Gabon burned uranium two billion years ago. Uranium oxide remains are visible as the yellowish rock. Credit: Robert D. Loss,

J. Marvin Herndon has published a series of articles outlining the feasibility and evidence of a nuclear fission reactor, called the georeactor, at the center of the Earth as the energy source for the geomagnetic field.

Key Questions you MUST ask!

• Can we deliver & manage this technology?• Is it safe?• How much fuel is there?• Does "Low Carbon" mean "Sustainable"• Is there such a thing as a "Necessary Evil"• Can this technology FIX the problem of an

energy deficit? • What are the economic drivers for this

technology - who's in favour & why?

1. Can We Deliver This Technology?

The Æolipile A Replica of the World's First Rotating Steam Engine

Invented Heron of Alexandria in the first century A.D. 

Nuclear Waste Management: 

The Beautiful Blue Light is Cherenkov Radiation, it's not added by me!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Nuclear_waste_container_2010_nevada.jpg

Nuclear waste Storage:

Long Term commitment - 10,000 - 1,000,000 year management plan. 

Oldest Structure Ever Discovered - Japanese.

Discovered on a hillside at Chichibu, north of Tokyo. Built by Homo erectus, half a million years ago (500,000 years)!

Goebekli Tepe (Turkey)

Oldest Standing Structure in the World 11,000 years old

2. Is it Safe?

Nuclear Accidents:

Two most notable:1. Three Mile Island2. Chernobyl

In both cases it was the management of the plant which was a key factor in their failure.

Are Nuclear Accidents inevitable?

"There have only been two significant accidents in the nuclear power industry…"

"2008 saw 140 safety related events involving ionizing radiation reported to the IAEA, most of these events were found to have no safety significance."

International Atomic Energy Agency (2010)

However, there is an example of a nuclear power which has NEVER had an accidents regards the running of their reactors:

USS Virginia

USS Enterprise

The United States Navy"The U.S. Navy has accumulated over 5,400 "reactor years" of accident-free experience, and operates more than 80 nuclear-powered ships."

ADMIRAL F. L. "SKIP" BOWMAN, (2003)

USS George H. W. Bush

Theories regards the Safety Record of the US Navy

• Highly Trained• Discipline the core element of the "Corporate Culture" •Energy Production required at "any cost" to keep the primary goal i.e. Keeping the Ship/Boat running.•Effectiveness of Reactor measure by Utilisation (amount of time on) rather than the profitability of energy source.

•These are significantly different drivers when compared to civilian reactors.

Profit/Cost Cutting Meeting Regulations Cost Effectively Efficiencies of Scale Job & Economic Security/Shareholder Return

3. Availability of Fuel

• Uranium was made in the heart of the Sun that birthed our solar system.

• It is finite, but massively dispersed in our environment. Available in: Sea Water, Granite, sedimentary rock, continental crust.

• Current economically available resource estimated at approx 80 years!

• Let double it to account for; further mineral discoveries & improved purification & reprocessing - 160 years

• Effect of Global Growth in Nuclear Industry: 53 years• This puts "Peak Uranium" in 30 - 50 years

3.

Sustainable Development Commission:

Emissions associated with plant construction and the fuel cycle, the emissions associated with nuclear power production are relatively low, with an average value of 4.4tC/GWh,

Nuclear: 4.4 - (6.5tC)/GWhOff Shore Wind Power:(2.1) - 4.4tC/GWh

Coal: 243tC/GWh Gas: 97tC/GWh

Cradle to the Grave: Nuclear Falls Within this Category

Nuclear waste Storage:

Long Term commitment - 10,000 - 1,000,000 year management plan. 

Cradle to Cradle: Renewable Energy Fall Within this "Recyclable" Category

Questions: Is Nuclear Sustainable?

• Lifespan - Peak Uranium (30 years)

• VERY difficult to recycle (contamination)

• Concentrated energy source/money (inclusive?)

• Centralised Energy rarely promotes energy efficiency (fuel poverty & rising energy prices)

• Private companies will always maximise energy price.

• Almost impossible to "U" turn once committed to this option - To Big to Fail!

• Relative low employment, but high skills base

Sustainability of Nuclear Power• Do we Have an Electricity Gap?

• EST estimates a Possible Efficiency Saving in the UK between 20% - 50%: Forever!

• Construction of Sustainable Homes & Sensible Energy Pricing, encouraging efficiency investment - 30 year plan

• With a WWII "total" commitment by 2040 - 60% UK housing would cost less than £150/year to run: Forever!

• Investment in UK Renewables & Energy Storage offer indefinite energy security, an internalised energy market and massive growth in UK employment.

Supporters of Nuclear Power• Engineers:

– The superb training of engineers leaves them with the ability not only to solve problem but a desire to solve the really big ones!

• Employees:– Obviously the high levels of support to districts and individuals

offering a highly skilled and respected "job for life".

• Shareholders:– In our privatised energy industry, the relatively stable highly

supported nature of the industry offers predictable returns– The scale of the industry gives it reliable longevity

• People who have little or no interest beyond 30 - 50yrs– The possible sustainability problems will only occur at what many

would regard as the far future