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Nuclear: the only way forward?

Richards, T. (2020, May 12). Nuclear: the only way forward? The Daily Record. Retrieved from

<http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/debate/article-2713830/Why-Nuclear-is-the Way-Forward.html>. (composite source for classroom use)

The most useful term to use when comparing energy sources is the concept of power density. The power density of an energy source- good or bad- goes a long way towards determining whether an energy source is a realistic option or just wishful thinking. A comparison of the power densities offered by nuclear power with those achieved by renewables shows us exactly where our energy future lies. While wind and solar produce power densities ranging from 2.5 to 15 W/m2, nuclear exhibits far superior power densities of 2000 W/m2 reaching to a maximum of around 6000W/m2.

Unfortunately, this is true of other widely advocated renewable sources. Due to its poor power density, if we used corn ethanol - a type of biofuel - to meet the current world demand for energy, we would have to convert approximately half of the land surface of the entire planet into corn production.

Figure 2. Land use intensity