NUCLEAR POWERSTATIONS

At nuclear power stations nuclear energy  is used  to generate heat, which is then used to generate electricity and heating. Nuclear power plants have solved the problem of vessels with restricted navigation area (nuclear-powered icebreakers, nuclear submarines, nuclear aircraft carriers). In conditions of the lack of energy resources, nuclear power is considered the most perspective in coming decades.

ADVANTAGES OF NPS:

• The main advantage - the practical independence of the sources of fuel because of a small amount of fuel used,

• The great advantage of nuclear power is its relative environmental friendliness.

(for example, thermal power station on 1000 MW consumes 8 million tons of oxygen per year for the oxidation of fuels, nuclear power doesn’t consumed oxygen at all)

DISADVANTAGES:

• Nuclear power stations can cause thermal pollution because they use large amount of water to cold reactors

• the cost of building nuclear power plants is a little higher than the construction of thermal stations

• The main drawback of nuclear power - serious consequences of accidents

The impact of nuclear power stations on the environment

Technogenic environmental impacts during construction and operation of nuclear power are many. It is usually said that there are physical, chemical, radiation and other factors of anthropogenic impact of nuclear power plants on the environment.

The most essential factors • local mechanical effect on the relief - the construction, • damage to individuals in the technology systems - during the operation, • flow of surface and ground water containing chemical and radioactive components, • land-use change and exchange processes in the immediate vicinity of the NPP, • changes in microclimatic characteristics of the surrounding areas.

NUCLEAR POWERSTATION IN FUKUSIMA

Influence on people’s lives:

• Exceeding the standards for levels of radionuclides found in milk, seafood and agricultural products produced in Fukushima and nearby cities to it. The government restricted the distribution and use of certain products in several areas.

• Radioactive iodine (йод) in quantities exceeding the permitted limits, has been found in tap water in several prefectures

• Radioactive cesium was found in a marine silt, 50 km from the station.

CONSEQUENS:

March 23 in Tokyo, restrictions were placed on the use of tap water to children one year due to the detection of iodine-131

In seawater samples which were taken March 22 and 23 in the 30 km zone around the station, was found iodine-131 (slightly above acceptable limits) and cesium-137 (much lower than acceptable standards). In the future a significant increase of water activity has begun : in the samples taken at 330 meters from the station by 29 March exceeded the allowed activity rules in 3355 times, to March 31 -4385 in times.

…

NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IN RUSSIA:

In recent years, many developing countries began to abandon the operation of nuclear power plants. This is due to the fact that after finding out strength of the negative impact of nuclear energy for life and human health, the environment and ecology, it became clear that they need changes. Having considered all the analogs, which can be replaced by nuclear power plants, and concluded that today there are plenty of alternatives, that don’t have such a destructive impact on the environment, the Italian, the German government and representatives of other countries began to transfer plants generating electricity for other fuels.

However, there were also those who spoke out against a complete renunciation of nuclear power, arguing that the rejection of nuclear energy can not only increase cost savings, but on the contrary, lead to the fact that electricity prices will continue to grow. And all because of the fact that there are very little analogues of nuclear power in Russia, and alternative fuels have to be imported from other countries that may negatively affect the Russian economy. Moreover, if we introduce the Russian nuclear power plants in operation reasonably, we can use atomic energy in such a way that it had no effect on the environment.  Those who said 'yes' - more than 50%,which means that maybe in the near future, Russian nuclear power plants will be transferred to an alternative fuel.

Baltic nuclear power station

The excess electricity will be exported outside the region on the following routes:

•  after upgrading transmission lines to Lithuania, to export electricity to Sweden via Nord Balt (completion in 2016);

• after the laying of transmission lines from Lithuania to Finland via Estonia and Latvia - Estlink electricity export to these countries;

 At the present time in Kaliningrad region there are three thermal power plants, and a wind farm in the village of Kulikovo (5.1MW). Well designed wind farms "offshore wind farm" (50 MW).

 Most of the electricity produced in the Baltic nuclear power plant is intended for export outside Kaliningrad region. Under an agreement with the EU, Poland and the Baltic States are obliged to close their old thermal power stations. This will further worsen shortage of electricity in the region caused by the closure of the Ignalina NPP in Lithuania, a former major producer of electricity in the Baltic. In particular Lithuania has to buy about 50% of the necessary electricity to its neighboring countries, including Russia.To solve the problem of energy shortages Lithuanian government plans to build the Visaginas nuclear power plant.

ALTERNATIVE RESOURCES OF ENERGY

Tidal Power Plant (TPP) - a special kind of hydroelectric power, tidal energy uses, and in fact the kinetic energy of rotation of the Earth. Tidal power plants built on the shores of the seas, where the gravitational force of the moon and the sun twice a day,  levels. Fluctuations in water level near the coast can reach13 meters.

In Russia, since 1968 an experimental TPP  works  in Kislaya Guba on the Barents Sea. For 2009, its power is 1.7 MW. In the design phase is North tidal power plant of 12 MW. During the Soviet period construction projects have been developed in the Mezen Bay tidal (capacity 11 000 MW) in the White Sea and the Bay Penzhina Tugursky Bay (capacity 8,000 MW) on the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, at present the status of these projects is unknown, except for the Mezen tidal power plant included in investment project of RAO "UES". Penzhinskaya PES could become the most powerful power plant in the world - the design capacity of 87 GW.

According to opponents of rejection of nuclear energy alternatives to nuclear power plants no: fossil fuel reserves are limited, andburning it extremely not environmentally friendly. Alternative sources can not provide all the energy needs, in addition, cost of goods manufactured by them is too high. In addition, alternative energy sources and associated environmental problems such as large-scale hydroelectric bring harm to ecosystems, rivers. Solar cells contain large amounts of environmentally harmful substances, and windmills stop the movement air masses.

DIRECTIONS OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

• wind power energy

• solar energy

• alternative hydroelectricity (like tidal power stations, wave power stations)

• space energy (when storage of solar energy situated in the Earth’s orbit)

• biofuels (as clean fuel for airplanes, spaceships, and vehicles)

Mini-hydro power stations Energy which are used in small streams with small HPS (micro-hydro) - one of the most effective kinds of alternative energy development. Small hydropower is a great alternative to centralized power supply for remote and inaccessible areas and areas with limited transfer capacity of transmission lines. The use of mini-hydro power can fix the cost of energy at an acceptable level for the consumer solves the problem of shortages of electricity. Advantages of micro-and mini-hydro power: - there is no distraction of the natural landscape and the environment during construction and operation phase; -no negative impact on water quality: it does not lose the original natural properties and can be used for public water supply; -almost no dependence on weather conditions; - supply of cheap electricity to the consumer ensured at any time of the year; No problem, characterized by large hydropower (building complex and expensive hydraulic structures, flood areas, etc.).

Energy sources for small-scale hydropower are: -small rivers, streams, -natural elevation of the spillway at the lake and irrigation channelsof irrigation systems, -technological streams (industrial and sewage discharges), -elevation drinking water pipelines, water treatment systems andother piping designed to pump various types of liquid products.