COMPARISON OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR AND THERMAL POWER STATIONS
(1,000 megawatt capacity)
Radiation dose Sulphur
received by
dioxide
people living
discharge
Nitrous oxide discharge
Ash and
Area
special mined substances
Relative index of
nearby
tonnes/yr
tonnes/yr
tonnes/yr mu/yr
damage to health
Coal-
S02:32,000
fired
0.048
power
46,000- 127,500
26,250- 30,000
3,500
1,210 NOx: 4,530
Ash: 1,100
station
PWR
nuclear 0.018
power
station
30-42
Krypton/
xenon: 1 Iodine: 20
THE HEAVY BURDEN OF TRANSPORTATION FOR COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS
1,000 MEGAWATT PWR NUCLEAR
POWER STATION
30 tonnes of nuclear fuel are
replaced each year, of which
the consumption of uranium-235
amounts to only about 1 tonne,
the rest can be recovered.
1,000 MEGAWATT COAL-FIRED POWER
STATION
On
3 million tonnes of raw coal
are consumed each year.
average, it requires one 10,000
tonne coal ship or three 40
wagon trains to transport
fuel
Transportation
negligible.
of
fuel is
to the plant each day. This is
really a heavy
transportation
burden.
Consumption of fuel is based on 300 days of
full
capacity
operation each year
20
26