NUCLEAR EMISSIONS

Picture: Nuclear Vs Coal

The picture above is meant to compare the emissions produced by Nuclear Power plant and Coal Powered steam Turbine Power plant.Power generation accounts for about one quarter of total emissions of CO₂, the main culprit in global warming. But generally, now people concerned about climate change lacked information about the emissions of different types of power plant.

With coal, when it is burned, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released. For that reason, coal fired boilers are required to have control devices to reduce the amount of emissions are released. The average emission rates in the US from coal fired generation are: 2249 lbs/MWh of carbon dioxide, 13 lbs/MWh of sulphur dioxide and 6 lbs/MWh nitrogen oxide. In addition to emission is the mining, cleaning and transporting of coal to power plants.

Burning oil at power plants produces nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, methane, and mercury compounds. The amount of sulphur dioxide and mercury compounds can vary greatly depending on the sulphur and mercury content of the oil that is burned. The average emissions rates in the United States from oil-fired generation are: 1672 lbs/MWh of carbon dioxide, 12 lbs/MWh of sulfur dioxide, and 4 lbs/MWh of nitrogen oxides. In addition, oil wells and oil collection equipment are a source of emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The large engines that are used in the oil drilling, production, and transportation processes burn natural gas or diesel that also produce emissions.Nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, or nitrogen oxides. However, fossil fuel emissions are associated with the uranium mining and uranium enrichment process as well as the transport of the uranium fuel to the nuclear plant.