Nuclear Power

How much energy does the world consume?

Energy consumption is growing steadily. Global direct primary energy consumption in 2020 was about 160,000 TWh (576 exajoules or 545 quadrillions BTU). This is equivalent to three hundred million wagons of coal or to a mountain of coal 4 times larger than Mount Kilimanjaro. We are totally dependent on fossil fuels.

Why do majority of fossil fuels need to stay underground?

Climate change is a real problem that you and especially your descendants will face. 90% of coal must remain unextracted and nearly 60% of oil and fossil methane gas must stay underground to have even a 50% chance of keeping global temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 13% per decade.

What are the primary energy sources?

Industry, transportation, and the residential sector consume even more primary resources than electricity generation. To achieve a low-carbon economy, electricity generation has to triple and it must be based on low-carbon sources. Hydrogen and electricity are produced from primary energy, we cannot say that they have the potential to offset fossil fuels. All energy transformations are associated with energy losses.

What is the low-carbon balanced energy mix?

Generation and consumption must be balanced across the entire grid because energy is consumed as it is produced. Variable renewable energy sources are not dispatchable due to their fluctuating nature, such as wind power and solar power. When it’s cloudy or the wind isn’t blowing, the grid needs more energy from other sources.

Current nuclear energy – to phase-out or to continue?

Today’s majority of nuclear plants are approaching the end of their design life. Taking out existing nuclear power plants completely destroys gains with renewables such as wind, biomass, and solar power. We have to make a final decision on the phase-out of the current nuclear. Indecision can cost us a lot.