What Is the Carbon Footprint of Nuclear Power? A Life-Cycle Assessment
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Nuclear power uses radioactive material to produce electricity. Although the operation of nuclear power does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, emissions can still be found during other stages of its life cycle. So, we had to ask: What is the carbon footprint of nuclear power?
Nuclear power has the third-lowest carbon footprint of all energy types. Per kWh produced, nuclear power emits 12 grams of CO2 on a life-cycle basis. It combats climate change and has various environmental benefits, but comes with the threat of nuclear waste products.
Keep reading to learn about the overall carbon footprint of nuclear power and its carbon footprint throughout its life cycle.
How is Nuclear Power Defined
In general, nuclear power is generated when neutrons either divide or fuse, which releases heat, produces steam, spins a turbine, and drives generators to produce electricity. The two ways we can generate nuclear power are via nuclear fission (when neutrons divide) or nuclear fusion (when neutrons fuse).
This means that the carbon footprint of nuclear power is the carbon footprint of both nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fission is the generation of energy produced when splitting apart the nucleus of an atom.
“Nuclear fission: a nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits spontaneously or on impact with another particle, with the release of energy.”
Cambridge Dictionary
Nuclear fusion is the generation of energy produced when lighter atoms are combined or fused to create larger and heavier atoms.
“Nuclear fusion: the process of joining two nuclei to produce energy.”
Cambridge Dictionary
All operating nuclear power plants today utilize the process of nuclear fission, whereas nuclear fusion is still very much in the research and development phase.
What is the Carbon Footprint of Nuclear Power
The carbon footprint is one of the ways we measure the effects of human-induced global climate change. It primarily focuses on the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with consumption, but also includes other emissions such as methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons.
“Carbon footprint: the amount of greenhouse gases and specifically carbon dioxide emitted by something (such as a person’s activities or a product’s manufacture and transport) during a given period”
Merriam Webster
Basically, it is the amount of carbon emitted by an activity or an organization. This includes GHG emissions from fuel that we burn directly (e.g., heating a home, driving a car) and GHG emissions from manufacturing the products that we use (e.g., power plants, factories, and landfills).
What Is the Overall Carbon Footprint of Nuclear Power
All operating nuclear power plants today utilize the process of nuclear fission. Because of this, nuclear fission is commonly referred to as ‘nuclear power’ in the data and literature.
Overall, nuclear power is considered a clean source of energy. It produces emissions associated with the construction and decommissioning of nuclear facilities but only produces a fraction of the pollution and toxic chemicals that fossil fuels generate.
On a life-cycle basis, nuclear power emits 12 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity produced, which is tied for the third-lowest out of all energy types.
Nuclear fusion also produces little to no greenhouse gas emissions and toxic byproducts, making it one of our most environmentally friendly energy sources. One study on tokamak fusion power plants found that they emit less CO2 than photovoltaic solar systems and less than double those from nuclear fission reactors.
To understand the carbon footprint of nuclear power, we must assess its life-cycle and each stage’s carbon footprint. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and materials. Over the years, companies have strategically used LCA to research and create more sustainable products. So, let’s have a look at the LCA of nuclear power!
| The life-cycle stages of nuclear power | Each stage’s carbon footprint |
| Building of nuclear power | Emissions at this stage occur when constructing the power plant and reactors, gathering and processing the input materials, and transporting the materials to the power plant. |
| Operating of nuclear power | There are very few CO2 emissions or waste products associated with operating and maintaining nuclear power, making this stage very clean. |
| Building back of nuclear power | Emissions at this final stage occur when utilizing construction equipment to decommission nuclear sites, demolish buildings, restore the surrounding land, and construct new buildings in the old nuclear power plant’s place. |
The total carbon footprint of nuclear power would equal the carbon footprint from building + the carbon footprint from operating + the carbon footprint from building back.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Building Nuclear Power
The building stage of nuclear power includes constructing the power plant and reactors, gathering and processing the input materials, and transporting the materials to the power plant.
A nuclear power plant has many components, and building these components requires machinery that emits CO2.
- For nuclear fission: the containment building, reactor vessel, steam lines, pumps, turbines, generators, transformers, and cooling towers are all components with a carbon footprint.
- For nuclear fusion: the magnets, coils, antennas, diagnostic instruments, cryopumps, thermal shields, and beam injectors are all components with a carbon footprint.
Nuclear fission also requires us to mine for Uranium in the form of open pit, underground, or in situ leach (ISL) mining. Uranium is mined in the same manner as coal, meaning it also comes with CO2 emissions. The mining industry generates between 1.9 billion and 5.1 billion tons of CO2 annually, with an additional 400 million tons coming from power consumption.
Lastly, transporting nuclear input materials and power plant components is a process that emits CO2. Materials are typically transported from fabrication sites to power plants by road, rail, or sea, all of which run on diesel fuel. Burning one gallon of diesel fuel produces 22.38 pounds of CO2.
CO2 emissions at this stage occur when constructing the power plant, mining and processing the input materials, and transporting materials to the power plant.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Operating and Maintaining Nuclear Power
The operating and maintaining stage of nuclear power includes the process by which atomic nuclei are either split apart or fused together to generate energy.
Nuclear power produces little to no greenhouse gas emissions or toxic byproducts, making it one of our most environmentally friendly energy sources.
Nuclear fission produces a fraction of the pollution and toxic chemicals that fossil fuels produce, making the operating phase very environmentally friendly. In terms of emissions, nuclear fission emits only 12 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity produced, which is tied for the third-lowest out of all energy types.
One study on tokamak fusion power plants found that they emit less CO2 than photovoltaic solar systems and just about double those from nuclear fission reactors.
Emissions at this stage are associated with the operation of the mechanical equipment (e.g., pumps, beam injectors, transformers, generators, and substations) at the nuclear power plants.
What Is the Carbon Footprint of Building Back Nuclear Power
The building back stage of nuclear power involves decommissioning the nuclear facility and restoring/repurposing the land.
In general, the process of shutting down nuclear power plants is expensive, labor-intensive, time-consuming, and can come with health and safety risks. Emissions at this stage vary based on the type and size of the nuclear facility, with larger farms requiring more effort to decommission. Essentially, the smaller the nuclear facility, the cleaner the building back stage is considered.
Emissions at this final stage occur when utilizing construction equipment to decommission nuclear sites, demolish buildings, restore the surrounding land, and construct new buildings in the old nuclear power plant’s place.
What Role Does Nuclear Power Play in Combating Climate Change
Climate change is arguably the most severe, long-term, global impact of fossil fuel combustion. Every year, approximately 33 billion tons (bt) of CO2 are emitted from burning fossil fuels. The carbon found in fossil fuels reacts with oxygen in the air to produce CO2. This warms the earth by acting as a heating blanket, and a warmer earth comes with a host of negative side effects.
Using nuclear power to produce energy instead of fossil fuel energy helps mitigate the following negative effects of climate change:
- Increasing temperatures: Earth’s atmosphere has warmed 1.5℃ since 1880. This may not seem like a lot, but these degrees create regional and seasonal temperature extremes, reduce sea ice, intensify rainfall and drought severity, and change habitat ranges for plants and animals.
- Rising sea levels: Global sea levels have increased approximately 8-9 inches since 1880, displacing people living along coastlines and destroying coastal habitats. Roads, bridges, subways, water supplies, oil and gas wells, power plants, sewage treatment plants, and landfills remain at risk if sea level rise goes unchecked.
- Melting of sea ice: Since 1979, arctic sea ice has declined by 30%. Sea ice plays a major role in regulating the earth’s climate by reflecting sunlight into space and providing habitat for animal species. If all of the glaciers on Earth melted, sea levels would rise by approximately 70 feet, effectively flooding out every coastal city on the planet.
- Changing precipitation patterns: Extreme weather events (e.g., hurricanes, floods, droughts) are becoming more common and more intense. Storm-affected areas will experience increased precipitation and flooding whereas areas located further from storm tracks will experience decreased precipitation and droughts.
- Ocean acidification: The ocean absorbs 30% of the CO2 released into the atmosphere, which decreases the pH (increases the acidity) of the ocean. In the past 200 years, the pH of oceans has decreased by 0.1 pH units, which translates to a 30% increase in acidity. Aquatic life unable to adjust to this rapid acidification will die off. A prime example of this is coral bleaching, where coral expels the algae (zooxanthellae) living in their tissues as a result of changes in temperature, light, or nutrients.
The more we reduce CO2 emissions, the more we slow the rate of temperature rise, sea-level rise, ice melting, and ocean acidification. When these rates are slowed, the earth’s biodiversity does not have to struggle to adapt to temperature and pH changes. People will not be displaced due to the flooding of coastal areas. And icebergs will continue to provide climate regulation.
Most experts agree that we are unlikely to achieve large-scale nuclear fusion energy generation before 2050. This means that fusion is not an option for meeting the short-term climate goals laid out in The Paris Climate Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (C).
How Environmentally Friendly Is Nuclear Power
Overall, nuclear power is not considered to be environmentally friendly.
“Environmentally friendly: (of products) not harming the environment.”
Cambridge Dictionary
Nuclear power varies in environmental friendliness. The operating and maintenance stage is more environmentally friendly when compared to the building and building back stages.
What Are The Environmental Benefits of Nuclear Power
Nuclear power has a low carbon footprint, protects air quality, and generates few waste products. In addition, nuclear fusion cannot cause a nuclear accident or be used to produce nuclear weapons.
| 5 Environmental Benefits of Nuclear Power | Quick Facts |
| Benefit #1: Nuclear power has a low carbon footprint | On a life-cycle basis, nuclear power emits 12 grams of CO2 equivalent per kWh of electricity produced, the second lowest out of all fuel types. |
| Benefit #2: Nuclear power protects air quality | Nuclear power is a clean burning source of energy that produces minimal greenhouse gasses and emits no CO, SO2, or NOx, thereby helping to protect air quality. |
| Benefit #3: Nuclear power generates few waste products | Nuclear power produces substantially less waste than other forms of energy and only a small amount of high-level, radioactive waste. |
| Benefit #4: Nuclear fusion cannot cause a nuclear accident | Nuclear fusion reactions cannot cause a nuclear accident because they are not based on chain reactions. |
| Benefit #5: Nuclear fusion cannot be used to produce nuclear weapons | Nuclear fusion cannot be used to produce nuclear weapons because it does not use fissile material and uses only a small amount of fuel. |
What Are The Environmental Drawbacks of Nuclear Power
Nuclear power generates nuclear waste with varying radioactivity. In addition, nuclear fission is a nonrenewable resource that can negatively impact the environment.
| 3 Environmental Drawbacks of Nuclear Power | Quick Facts |
| Drawback #1: Nuclear power generates nuclear waste | Nuclear power produces nuclear waste that is radioactive and can remain hazardous for many years, depending on the type. |
| Drawback #2: Nuclear fission is a nonrenewable energy source | Nuclear fission is classified as nonrenewable energy because nuclear fuel (Uranium) is a finite material that can only be found in certain locations in the Earth’s crust. |
| Drawback #3: Nuclear fission can negatively impact the environment | Uranium mining can contaminate the environment with radiation, water-borne toxins, and radon gas. |
Final Thoughts
Nuclear power is an incredibly efficient energy source that uses heat acquired from splitting the nuclei of atoms to create electricity. The process of nuclear fission does not produce CO2 emissions, but the construction of the power plant, mining and transportation of uranium, and deconstruction of the power plant are all areas that have carbon footprints.
Nuclear power benefits the environment by mitigating climate change, creating jobs, promoting energy independence, and protecting air quality. Environmental drawbacks including mining and nuclear waste can be mitigated with proper handling and disposal methods.
Stay impactful,
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