SUBMITTED BY

GAUTAM DHITAL
CLASS 11
SYMBOL No:........................
ROLL NO: 18
NEB REGISTRATION No:....................
SUBMITTED TO
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
GYANODAYA SECONDARY SCHOOL
PURANO KALIMATI, BAFAL, KATHMANDU
NEPAL

April,2022
 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL

This project work entitled “STUDY ON NUCLEAR POWER IN WORLD” by Ms.Pratima Aryal of
Gyanodaya secondary school symbol No: :12747341 roll No. 37 and NEB registration
no:783273190246.Prepared under the supervision in the department of physics, submitted for
the partial fulfillment of prerequisite of physics of the 12 has been accepted.

Mamata Maharjan Prem khadka

Supervisor Head of department
Department of physics department of physics
Gyanodaya secondary school Gyanodaya secondary school
 RECOMMENDATION

This is to recommend that GAUTAM DHITAL Roll.No:18, NEB registration No: ………………………
has carried out project work entitled” study on nuclear power in world” for the requirement to
the project work in class 12 in physics under my supervision in the department of physics,
Gyanodaya secondary school, Nepal, I, therefore, recommend the project work report for
evaluation.

Signature:..........................
Mamata maharjan
Designation of supervisor
Date: April,2022
 DECLARATION

This project work entitled”” is being submitted to the department of physics, Gyanodaya
secondary school for the partial fulfillment of the requirement to the project work in class 12 in
physics. This project work is carried out by me under the supervision of Prem khadka and co-
supervision of Mamata maharjan.

This work is original and has not been submitted earlier in part or full in this or any other form
to any university or institute, here or elsewhere, for the award of any degree.

…………………..
Signature
GAUTAM DHITAL
Roll. No:18
Email:gtmdhital314@gmail.com
NEB Registration No: ………………….
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my great pleasure to thank Mrs.mamata maharjan mam for providing me an opportunity to

work my project work under the supervision. Her guidance, suggestion and encouragement
made me endure with my work. I am very thankful that she was always willing to answer
question and solve the problem during my research. I am indebted to her. I am grateful to all
my teachers of gyanodaya secondary school, especially prem khadka sir for direct or indirect
help to make this work worth writing. I would like to extend my gratefulness to entire family of
the department of physics.

I would like to extend my special gratitude to my friends Saroj Shah and Pratima Aryal for their
continuous help and encouragement.
Finally, I must express my deepest gratitude appreciation to my family for providing me
academic environment. I am thankful to all my well-wishers for their moral help.

Gautam Dhital
Roll.No.:18
NEB Registration No: ………………………..
Chaitra,2078
 ABSTRACT
This project described that how the world nuclear power country in being dominating others
with their nuclear weapon and their modern technology. Data were collected from different
website and research paper. It shows that nuclear power plant not only is used to make nuclear
weapon but it is also used for different propose in our daily life like for the production of
electricity. It was found that through the data was that the how the powerful country is being
ruling over the other country. After you read this project you will surely be known about how
the history began in the field of nuclear path. Here you can find the different factors of
advantages, challenges and disadvantages of the nuclear power plant. This project clearly
describes the list of the powerful country in nuclear field. Hence we can conclude that the
project main theme is to be known about in the field of nuclear journey from beginning up to
now.

Keywords: history, nuclear power plant, powerful country, advantages, challenges,

disadvantages, and nuclear journey.
 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATION
1. ICI: Imperial chemical industries
2. SSBNs: strategic bombers and ballistic missile submarines
3. SLBMs: submarine launched ballistic missile missiles
4. NPT: Non-proliferation treaty
5. DOE: department of energy
6. LWRS: light water reactor sustainability
 LIST OF FIGURES
Table no. Title of the table page no.
Table 1: nuclear weapon by country 2022 3
Table 2: first nuclear explosion 5
Table 3: a trident missile launch from royal navy 6
Table 4: French first powered aircraft carrier 7
Table 5: mushroom cloud from china first nuclear test 8
Table 6: brahmos missile 10
Table 7: shaheen III missile 11
Table 8: north Korea missile 12
Table 9: advantages of nuclear power plant 13
Table 10: challenges of nuclear energy 17
 TABLE OF CONTENT

Page number
Cover page I
Certificate of approval II
Recommendation III
Declaration IV
Acknowledgement V
Abstract VI
List of acronyms and abbreviation VII
List of figures VIII
Table of contents
CHAPTER 1; INTRODUCTION 1-12
1.1 nuclear power
1.2 how the concepts of making bomb come from nuclear plants
1.3 a brief history
1.4 powerful country in world
1.5 which countries have nuclear how much nuclear
1.6 different countries description
1.6.1 Russia
1.6.2 United states
1.6.3 United Kingdom
1.6.4 France
1.6.5 China
1.6.6 India
1.6.7 Pakistan
1.6.8 North Korea
1.6.9 Israel
CHAPTER 2: ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY 13-16
2.1 Nuclear energy provides an enormous capacity.
2.2 we can reuse the fuel from nuclear energy project
2.3 this technology helps us to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions
2.4 nuclear energy provides countries with an economic boost
2.5 the facilities that produce nuclear energy are exceptionally reliable
2.6 nuclear energy is a safe resource to use
2.7 the cost of nuclear energy is manageable for most countries
2.8 nuclear energy is a process and reliable resources
2.9 this energy resources provides us with a highly efficient source of energy
2.10. the density of nuclear power is one of the highest ratings in the world
2.11. we can use nuclear energy in a variety of ways
CHAPTER3: CHALLENGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY 17-19
3.1. public awareness
3.2 used fuel transportation, storage and disposal
3.3. constructing new power plants
3.4. high operating costs
CHAPTER4: DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY 19-22
4.1. there is always the threat of an accident when working with nuclear energy
4.2 the uranium needed for nuclear energy can also become a weapon
4.3. there is a waste issue to consider with nuclear energy
4.4. exposure to nuclear materials or uranium can create health problems
4.5. nuclear energy does not provide us with a renewable energy resources
4.6. there are long term storage costs to consider with nuclear power
4.7. uranium mining is necessary to support the nuclear energy industry
4.8. inefficient nuclear energy transmission generates a significant loss profile
4.9. we do not have a plan b for when nuclear energy is no longer available
4.10. it can take a long time to build a new nuclear facility
CHAPTER5: CONCLUSION 22
CHAPTER6: BIBLIOGRAPHY 23-24
 INTRODUCTION
NUCLEAR POWER:
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be
obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast
majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced by nuclear fission of uranium and
plutonium in nuclear power plants a country that has nuclear weapons.
Nuclear energy now provides about 10% of the world's electricity from about 440 power
reactors. Nuclear is the world's second largest source of low-carbon power (28% of the total in
2019). Over 50 countries utilize nuclear energy in about 220 research reactors.
Although they are tiny, atoms have a large amount of energy holding their nuclei together.
Certain isotopes of some elements can be split and will release part of their energy as heat. This
splitting is called fission. The heat released in fission can be used to help generate electricity in
power plants. Uranium-235 (U-235) is one of the isotopes that fissions easily. During fission, U-
235 atoms absorb loose neutrons. This causes U-235 to become unstable and split into two
light atoms called fission products. The combined mass of the fission products is less than that
of the original U-235. The reduction occurs because some of the matter changes into energy.
The energy is released as heat. Two or three neutrons are released along with the heat. These
neutrons may hit other atoms, causing more fission

HOW THE CONCEPT OF MAKING BOMB COME FROM NUCLEAR PLANTS

British scientists had kept pressure on their government. The refugee physicists Peierls and
Frisch (who had stayed in England with Peierls after the outbreak of war), gave a major impetus
to the concept of the atomic bomb in a three-page document known as the Frisch-Peierls
Memorandum. In this they predicted that an amount of about 5kg of pure U-235 could make a
very powerful atomic bomb equivalent to several thousand tonnes of dynamite. They also
suggested how such a bomb could be detonated, how the U-235 could be produced, and what
the radiation effects might be in addition to the explosive effects. They proposed thermal
diffusion as a suitable method for separating the U-235 from the natural uranium. This
memorandum stimulated a considerable response in Britain at a time when there was little
interest in the USA.A group of eminent scientists known as the MAUD Committee was set up in
Britain and supervised research at the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Liverpool
and Oxford. The chemical problems of producing gaseous compounds of uranium and pure
uranium metal were studied at Birmingham University and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Dr
Philip Baxter at ICI made the first small batch of gaseous uranium hexafluoride for Professor
James Chadwick in 1940. ICI received a formal contract later in 1940 to make 3kg of this vital
material for the future work. Most of the other research was funded by the universities

1
themselves. Two important developments came from the work at Cambridge. The first was
experimental proof that a chain reaction could be sustained with.
slow neutrons in a mixture of uranium oxide and heavy water, i.e. the output of neutrons was
greater than the input. The second was by Bretscher and Feather based on earlier work by
Halban and Kowarski soon after they arrived in Britain from Paris. When U-235 and U-238
absorb slow neutrons, the probability of fission in U-235 is much greater than in U-238. The U-
238 is more likely to form a new isotope U-239, and this isotope rapidly emits an electron to
become a new element with a mass of 239 and an Atomic Number of 93. This element also
emits an electron and becomes a new element of mass 239 and Atomic Number 94, which has
a much greater half-life. Bretscher and Feather argued on theoretical grounds that element 94
would be readily fissionable by slow and fast neutrons, and had the added advantages that it
was chemically different to uranium and therefore could easily be separated from it. This new
development was also confirmed in independent work by McMillan and Abelson in the USA in
1940. Dr Kemmer of the Cambridge team proposed the names neptunium for the new element
# 93 and plutonium for # 94 by analogy with the outer planets Neptune and Pluto beyond
Uranus (uranium, element # 92). The Americans fortuitously suggested the same names, and
the identification of plutonium in 1941 is generally credited to Glenn Seabor.

A BRIEF HISTORY:
The world's first nuclear weapons explosion on July 16, 1945, in New Mexico, when the United
States tested its first nuclear bomb. Not three weeks later, the world changed.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of
Hiroshima. It killed or wounded nearly 130,000 people. Three days later, the United States
bombed Nagasaki. Of the 286,00 people living there at the time of the blast, 74,000 were killed
and another 75,000 sustained severe injuries. Japan agreed to an unconditional surrender on
August 14, 1945; it also resulted in the end of World War II.
In subsequent years, the United States, the Soviet Union and Great Britain conducted several
nuclear weapons tests. In 1954, President Jawaharlal Nehru of India called for a ban on nuclear
testing. It was the first large-scale initiative to ban using nuclear technology for mass
destruction. In 1958, nearly 10,000 scientists presented to United Nations Secretary-General
Dag Hammarskjold a petition that begged, “We deem it imperative that immediate action be
taken to effect an international agreement to stop testing of all nuclear weapons.”
France exploded its first nuclear device in 1960 and China entered the "nuclear arms club" in
October 1964 when it conducted its first test.
The United States, Soviet Union and some sixty other countries signed a treaty to seek the ends
of the nuclear arms race and promote disarmament on July 1, 1968. The treaty bars nuclear

2
weapons states from propagating weapons to other states and prohibits states without nuclear
weapons to develop or acquire nuclear arsenal. It permits the use of nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes. It entered into force in 1970 and was extended indefinitely and
unconditionally on May 11, 1995.

POWERFUL COUNTRY IN TERMS OF NUCLEAR POWER

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear fission,
nuclear fusion, or a combination of the two. Nuclear weapons are alternately called atom
bombs, atomic bombs, A-bombs, nuclear bombs, nuclear warheads, or simply nukes. All nuclear
weapons fit into one of two broad categories: fission and combination weapons, or the even-
more-destructive fusion-based designs, which are technically thermonuclear weapons and may
also be referred to as thermonuclear bombs, fusion weapons, hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs.
Nuclear weapons unleash enormous amounts of explosive force, which is measured in kilotons
(1,000 tons of TNT) and megatons (1,000,000 tons of TNT), as well as heat and radiation. They
are easily the most fearsome weapons on Earth, capable of producing more death, destruction,
injury, and sickness than any other weapon

3
Which Countries Have Nuclear Weapons?
Russia — 6,257 (1,458 active, 3039 available, 1,760 retired)
United States — 5,550 (1,389 active, 2,361 available, 1,800 retired)
China — 350 available (actively expanding nuclear arsenal)
France — 290 available
United Kingdom — 225 available
Pakistan — 165 available
India — 156 available
Israel — 90 available
North Korea — 40-50 available (estimated)

Nuclear bombs dropped during World War II

To date, nuclear weapons have been used in war only twice. At the end of World War II, the
United States dropped a nuclear bomb called Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945,
and a second bomb called Fat Man on Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. Little Boy detonated
with an explosive force of approximately 15 kilotons, which leveled most buildings within a 1-
mile radius. The shock wave was followed by a blast of heat at 6,000°C (10,830°F), which ignited
or incinerated anything flammable and turned the blast zone into a firestorm. Finally, the
explosion produced lethal ionizing radiation and lingering radioactive fallout, in which debris
blasted into the stratosphere by the initial explosion is held aloft by atmospheric winds and
settles back to Earth over the next several days. All told, the bombing of Hiroshima was
estimated by a 1945 government report to have resulted in 66,000 deaths and another 69,000
injuries. Nagasaki's totals were a lesser, but still devastating 39,000 deaths and 25,000 injuries.

DIFFERENT COUNTRIES DESCRIPTION

1.) RUSSIA

4
The Soviet Union tested its first nuclear weapon ("RDS-1") in 1949. This crash project was
developed partially with information obtained via espionage during and after World War II. The
Soviet Union was the second nation to have developed and tested a nuclear weapon. The direct
motivation for Soviet weapons development was to achieve a balance of power during the Cold
War. It tested its first megaton-range hydrogen bomb ("RDS-37") in 1955. The Soviet Union also
tested the most powerful explosive ever detonated by humans, ("Tsar Bomba"), with a
theoretical yield of 100 megatons, intentionally reduced to 50 when detonated. After its
dissolution in 1991, the Soviet weapons entered officially into the possession of the Russian
Federation. The Soviet nuclear arsenal contained some 45,000 warheads at its peak (in 1986);
the Soviet Union built about 55,000 nuclear warheads since 1949. [51]

2.) UNITED STATES

The United States developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II in cooperation with
the United Kingdom and Canada as part of the Manhattan Project, out of the fear that Nazi
Germany would develop them first. It tested the first nuclear weapon on 16 July 1945 ("Trinity")
at 5:30 am, and remains the only country to have used nuclear weapons in war, devastating the
Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The project expenditure through 1 October 1945
was reportedly $1.845-$2 billion, in nominal terms, roughly 0.8 percent of the US GDP in 1945
and equivalent to about $29 billion in 2020 money.

5
It was the first nation to develop the hydrogen bomb, testing an experimental prototype in
1952 ("Ivy Mike") and a deployable weapon in 1954 ("Castle Bravo"). Throughout the Cold War
it continued to modernize and enlarge its nuclear arsenal, but from 1992 on has been involved
primarily in a program of Stockpile stewardship. The U.S. nuclear arsenal contained 31,175
warheads at its Cold War height (in 1966) During the Cold War, the United States built
approximately 70,000 nuclear warheads, more than all other nuclear-weapon states
combined.=

the first tested an early stage in the "Trinity" fireball, the first nuclear explosion, 1945

3.) UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom tested its first nuclear weapon ("Hurricane") in 1952. The UK had provided
considerable impetus and initial research for the early conception of the atomic bomb, aided by
Austrian, German and Polish physicists working at British universities who had either fled or
decided not to return to Nazi Germany or Nazi controlled territories. The UK collaborated
closely with the United States and Canada during the Manhattan Project, but had to develop its
own method for manufacturing and detonating a bomb as U.S. secrecy grew after 1945. The
United Kingdom was the third country in the world, after the United States and the Soviet

6
Union, to develop and test a nuclear weapon. Its programme was motivated to have an
independent deterrent against the Soviet Union, while also maintaining its status as a great
power. It tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1957 (Operation Grapple), making it the third
country to do so after the United States and Soviet Union.

The UK maintained a fleet of V bomber strategic bombers and ballistic missile submarines
(SSBNs) equipped with nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It currently maintains a fleet of
four Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines equipped with Trident II missiles. In 2016, the
UK House of Commons voted to renew the British nuclear weapons system with the
Dreadnought-class submarine, without setting a date for the commencement of service of a
replacement to the current system.

A Trident missile launched from a Royal Navy Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine

4). FRANCE
France tested its first nuclear weapon in 1960 ("Gerboise Bleue"), based mostly on its own
research. It was motivated by the Suez Crisis diplomatic tension in relation to both the Soviet
Union and its allies, the United States and United Kingdom. It was also relevant to retain great
power status, alongside the United Kingdom, during the post-colonial Cold War (see: Force de
frappe). France tested its first hydrogen bomb in 1968 ("Operation Canopus"). After the Cold

7
War, France has disarmed 175 warheads with the reduction and modernization of its arsenal
that has now evolved to a dual system based on submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs)
and medium-range air-to-surface missiles (Raffle fighter-bombers). However new nuclear
weapons are in development and reformed nuclear squadrons were trained during Enduring
Freedom operations in Afghanistan. [citation needed]

France acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1992. In January 2006, President
Jacques Chirac stated a terrorist act or the use of weapons of mass destruction against France
would result in a nuclear counterattack. In February 2015, President François Hollande stressed
the need for a nuclear deterrent in "a dangerous world". He also detailed the French deterrent
as "fewer than 300" nuclear warheads, three sets of 16 submarine-launched ballistic missiles
and 54 medium-range air-to-surface missiles and urged other states to show similar
transparency.

French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (right) and the American nuclear-
powered carrier USS Enterprise (left), each of which carries nuclear-capable warplanes

5). CHINA
China tested its first nuclear weapon device ("596") in 1964 at the Lop Nur test site. The
weapon was developed as a deterrent against both the United States and the Soviet Union.
Two years later, China had a fission bomb capable of being put onto a nuclear missile. It tested
8
its first hydrogen bomb ("Test No. 6") in 1967, 32 months after testing its first nuclear weapon
(the shortest fission-to-fusion development known in history). China is the only NPT nuclear-
weapon state to give an unqualified negative security assurance with its "no first use" policy.
China acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1992.As of 2016, China fielded SLBMs
onboard its JL-2 submarines. As of May 2021, China has an estimated total inventory of 350
warheads.

Mushroom cloud from China's first nuclear test, Project 596

6). INDIA

9
India is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. India adopted the "no first use"
policy in 1998. India tested what is called a "peaceful nuclear explosive" in 1974 (which became
known as "Smiling Buddha"). The test was the first test developed after the creation of the NPT,
and created new questions about how civilian nuclear technology could be diverted secretly to
weapons purposes (dual-use technology). India's secret development caused great concern and
anger particularly from nations that had supplied its nuclear reactors for peaceful and power
generating needs, such as Canada.
Indian officials rejected the NPT in the 1960s on the grounds that it created a world of nuclear
"haves" and "have-nots", arguing that it unnecessarily restricted "peaceful activity" (including
"peaceful nuclear explosives"), and that India would not accede to international control of their
nuclear facilities unless all other countries engaged in unilateral disarmament of their own
nuclear weapons. The Indian position has also asserted that the NPT is in many ways a neo-
colonial regime designed to deny security to post-colonial powers. Even after its 1974 test, India
maintained that its nuclear capability was primarily "peaceful", but between 1988 and 1990 it
apparently weaponized two dozen nuclear weapons for delivery by air. In 1998 India tested
weaponized nuclear warheads ("Operation Shakti"), including a thermonuclear device.
In July 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
announced plans to conclude an Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement. This came to fruition
through a series of steps that included India's announced plan to separate its civil and military
nuclear programs in March 2006, the passage of the India–United States Civil Nuclear
Agreement by the U.S. Congress in December 2006, the conclusion of a U.S.–India nuclear
cooperation agreement in July 2007, approval by the IAEA of an India-specific safeguards
agreement, agreement by the Nuclear Suppliers Group to a waiver of export restrictions for
India, approval by the U.S. Congress and culminating in the signature of U.S.–India agreement
for civil nuclear cooperation in October 2008. The U.S. State Department said it made it "very
clear that we will not recognize India as a nuclear-weapon state". The United States is bound by
the Hyde Act with India and may cease all cooperation with India if India detonates a nuclear
explosive device. The US had further said it is not its intention to assist India in the design,
construction or operation of sensitive nuclear technologies through the transfer of dual-use
items. In establishing an exemption for India, the Nuclear Suppliers Group reserved the right to
consult on any future issues which might trouble it. As of May 2021, India was estimated to
have a stockpile of around 160 warheads.

10
7). PAKISTAN
Pakistan also is not a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Pakistan covertly developed
nuclear weapons over decades, beginning in the late 1970s. Pakistan first delved into nuclear
power after the establishment of its first nuclear power plant near Karachi with equipment and
materials supplied mainly by western nations in the early 1970s. Pakistani President Zulfiqar Ali
Bhutto promised in 1971 that if India could build nuclear weapons then Pakistan would too,
according to him: "We will develop Nuclear stockpiles, even if we have to eat grass."
It is believed that Pakistan has possessed nuclear weapons since the mid-1980s.The United
States continued to certify that Pakistan did not possess such weapons until 1990, when
sanctions were imposed under the Pressure Amendment, requiring a cutoff of U.S. economic
and military assistance to Pakistan. In 1998, Pakistan conducted its first six nuclear tests at the
Ras Kho Hills in response to the five tests conducted by India a few weeks before.
In 2004, the Pakistani metallurgist Abdul Qadeer Khan, a key figure in Pakistan's nuclear
weapons program, confessed to heading an international black market ring involved in selling
nuclear weapons technology. In particular, Khan had been selling gas centrifuge technology to
North Korea, Iran, and Libya. Khan denied complicity by the Pakistani government or Army, but
this has been called into question by journalists and IAEA officials, and was later contradicted by
statements from Khan himself.
As of early 2013, Pakistan was estimated to have had a stockpile of around 140 warheads, and
in November 2014 it was projected that by 2020 Pakistan would have enough fissile material
for 200 warheads.

11
8). NORTH KOREA
North Korea was a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but announced a withdrawal
on 10 January 2003, after the United States accused it of having a secret uranium enrichment
program and cut off energy assistance under the 1994 Agreed Framework. In February 2005,
North Korea claimed to possess functional nuclear weapons, though their lack of a test at the
time led many experts to doubt the claim. In October 2006, North Korea stated that, in
response to growing intimidation by the United States, it would conduct a nuclear test to
confirm its nuclear status. North Korea reported a successful nuclear test on 9 October 2006
(see 2006 North Korean nuclear test). Most U.S. intelligence officials believed that the test was
probably only partially successful with a yield of less than a kiloton. North Korea conducted a
second, higher-yield test on 25 May 2009 (see 2009 North Korean nuclear test) and a third test
with still-higher yield on 12 February 2013 (see 2013 North Korean nuclear test).
North Korea claimed to have conducted its first hydrogen-bomb test on 5 January 2016, though
measurements of seismic disturbances indicate that the detonation was not consistent with a
hydrogen bomb. On 3 September 2017, North Korea detonated a device, which caused a
magnitude 6.1 tremor, consistent with a low-powered thermonuclear detonation; NORSAR
estimates the yield at 250 kilotons of TNT. In 2018, North Korea announced a halt in nuclear
weapons tests and made a conditional commitment to denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula however, in December 2019, it indicated it no longer considered itself bound by the
moratorium.

12
9). ISRAEL
Israel is widely believed to have been the sixth country in the world to develop nuclear
weapons, but it has not acknowledged its nuclear forces. It had "rudimentary, but deliverable,"
nuclear weapons available as early as 1966. Israel is not a party to the NPT. Israel engages in
strategic ambiguity, saying it would not be the first country to "introduce" nuclear weapons
into the region, but refusing to otherwise confirm or deny a nuclear weapons program or
arsenal. This policy of "nuclear opacity" has been interpreted as an attempt to get the benefits
of deterrence with a minimal political cost.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Federation of American Scientists,
Israel likely possesses around 75–200 nuclear weapons. The Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute estimates that Israel has approximately 80 intact nuclear weapons, of which
50 are for delivery by Jericho II medium-range ballistic missiles and 30 are gravity bombs for
delivery by aircraft. SIPRI also reports that there was renewed speculation in 2012 that Israel
may also have developed nuclear-capable submarine-launched cruise missiles.

13
ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear energy protects air quality by producing massive amounts of carbon-free electricity. It
powers communities in 28 U.S. states and contributes to many non-electric applications,
ranging from the medical field to space exploration.
The Office of Nuclear Energy within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) focuses its research
primarily on maintaining the existing fleet of reactors, developing new advanced reactor
technologies, and improving the nuclear fuel cycle to increase the sustainability of our energy
supply and strengthen the U.S. economy.
Below are some of the main advantages of nuclear energy and the challenges currently facing
the industry today.

14
1. Nuclear energy provides an enormous capacity.
When you have only one kilogram of 4% enriched fuel-grade uranium, then it can release the
equivalent of 100 tons of high-grade coal. That means it can also replace about 60 tons of oil
consumption once a facility goes online. It is just as stable as the electricity and energy
generated by fossil fuels while offering a powerful resource for a baseline product that works
with the grids all over the world.

2. We can reuse the fuel from nuclear energy projects.

One of the most common fuels that we use in a nuclear energy project is called Uranium-235.
When we consume this element for energy, it does not entirely expire when placed in the
nuclear reactor. It is possible for facilities to reuse it again after generation. When we consume
fossil fuels, the slag or ash that remains is generally not well-suited for any other project. As we
transition to a future that works with closed fuel cycles, then there is the possibility that this
technology will generate zero waste in the future.
Another option with this advantage is called thorium. This spent waste comes from the
leftovers of the reaction and the heavy water created. Instead of placing the leftovers into a
holding facility, we can process it to continue using what we already have to reduce the need
for future uranium mining.

3. This technology helps us to start reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Any project that we start will consume fossil fuels at some level. The building materials, refining
processes, and transportation networks needed to create a nuclear energy facility will produce
greenhouse gas emissions during the creation process. Once we bring the power generators
online, the rapid development of this resource can start reducing our emissions footprint
without compromising the amount of power we can access.
When we look at the data from only Europe, this technology is responsible for a 700-million-ton
reduction of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to fossil fuels. If you add all of Russia
into that figure, another 210 million tons of CO2 doesn’t reach our atmosphere. That’s why an
emphasis on nuclear energy and its benefits can make a lot of sense for the developed world.

4. Nuclear energy provides countries with an economic boost.

15
Nuclear energy may not be the most influential component of the American economy, but it is
an essential sector for most countries around the world. When there is dynamic development
in this sector, then the government can ensure some of the basic conditions that are necessary
for energy independence and stable economic growth.

Nuclear power is cost-competitive with all other forms of electricity generation. The only
exception to this advantage is in locations where a power plant has direct access to low-cost
fossil fuels.

5. The facilities that produce nuclear energy are exceptionally reliable .

The first nuclear power plants that humans built had an expected lifespan of 40 to 50 years. As
we have taken care of these facilities and figured out how to maximize their production levels,
we have come to discover that this estimate was only 50% of what the technology could
provide. Using our current figures of uranium, there is enough product available right now to
handle our existing energy needs for more than a century.
New technologies that allow us to recycle the fuel coming from nuclear energy could possibly
extend this benefit even further.

6. Nuclear energy is a safe resource to use.

One of the primary reasons people shy away from the idea of using nuclear energy is the threat
of radiation. When you say the word “Chernobyl,” then the haunting pictures of radioactive
fallout come to mind. The reality of this industry is that it is very safe. It has one of the lowest
mortality rates in the world for every 1 trillion kilowatts it generates when compared to other
fuel resources.
When you compare coal-fired energy to nuclear options, then the fossil fuel causes 20,000
times more fatalities for every 1 trillion kilowatts generated. Even eco-friendly options like solar
energy have a rate that is twice as much as this industry offers. That’s why it is often in the
discussion for a new energy resource for communities that need more electricity.

7. The cost of nuclear energy is manageable for most countries.

If we were to develop nuclear energy in the same way that we’re working with renewables like
wind or solar, then the costs would be almost equal. The estimated cost of a new nuclear
facility in the United States is approximately $9 billion. Once that generator comes online, then

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the ongoing expenses are about 20% lower than what you would find with a fossil fuel facility
with a similar output.

Nuclear energy only has about 15% of its total expenses in the front-end costs of a new facility.
When you compare that to natural gas (87%) or coal (78%), then the expenses are manageable
over time for most developed countries.

8. Nuclear energy is a proven and reliable resource.

Over 30 different countries are currently using nuclear energy to meet their power generation
needs. About 10% of the total electricity that we produce each year comes from this industry.
Americans have a rate that is double the worldwide average without a significant incident
except for the Three Mile Island story.
There are five countries (Belgium, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, and France) that receive their
primary energy from nuclear power.
9. This energy resource provides us with a highly efficient source of energy.
When we can control a nuclear energy reaction correctly, then the process has the capability of
generating power for electricity generation for up to 36 months. That means this resource is up
to 8,000 times better from an efficiency standpoint than the traditional fossil fuels that we
consume every day. Even when we make improvements to our traditional technology, like
clean coal or biomass, the efficiency ratings do not come anywhere near what a nuclear reactor
provides when it goes online.
You also have the benefit with nuclear energy in that it can operate at any time of day. That
means it as efficiency superiority over most renewables, including wind and solar.

10. The density of nuclear power is one of the highest ratings in the world.
The amount of fuel that is required for nuclear energy to be generated is incredibly small
compared to other forms of energy production. According to Atomic Insights, uranium provides
16,000 times more electricity than coal does when compared in a pound-for-pound manner.
When comparing new technologies to perform nuclear fission or fusion, the comparison rate
may be more than 2 million to 1. The ratio of nuclear reactions to chemical reactions is closer to
10 million to 1.

11. We can use nuclear energy in a variety of ways.

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The primary use of nuclear power is usually for electricity generation, but there are a variety of
methods and applications that benefit from this technology. This advantage is due to the
stability of the energy created from the reaction since it can cover massive distances. Even
though the United States loses trillions of BTUs through electrical transmissions, we can supply
rural areas with a significant source of power so that they can meet a variety of needs.
We have even tested the use of nuclear reactors in outer space. The U.S. tested the SNAP-10A
reactor in orbit for 43 days in 1965. New technologies suggest that this resource could be a
power source for engines in the same way that we use them in some submarines and other
naval vessels.

CHALLENGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

❖ Public awareness

Commercial nuclear power is sometimes viewed by the general public as a dangerous or

unstable process. This perception is often based on three global nuclear accidents, its false

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association with nuclear weapons, and how it is portrayed on popular television shows and
films.
DOE and its national labs are working with industry to develop new reactors and fuels that will
increase the overall performance of these technologies and reduce the amount of nuclear
waste that is produced.
DOE also works to provide accurate, fact-based information about nuclear energy through its
social media and STEM outreach efforts to educate the public on the benefits of nuclear energy.

❖ Used fuel transportation, storage and disposal

Many people view used fuel as a growing problem and are apprehensive about its
transportation, storage, and disposal. DOE is responsible for the eventual disposal and
associated transport of all commercial used fuel, which is currently securely stored at 76
reactor or storage sites in 34 states. For the foreseeable future, this fuel can safely remain at
these facilities until a permanent disposal solution is determined by Congress.
DOE is currently evaluating nuclear power plant sites and nearby transportation infrastructure
to support the eventual transport of used fuel away from these sites. It is also developing new,
specially designed railcars to support large-scale transport of used fuel in the future.

❖ Constructing new power plants

Building a nuclear power plant can be discouraging for stakeholders. Conventional reactor
designs are considered multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects. High capital costs,
licensing and regulation approvals, coupled with long lead times and construction delays,
have also deterred public interest.

DOE is rebuilding its nuclear workforce by supporting the construction of two new reactors
at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. The units are the first new reactors to begin
construction in the United States in more than 30 years. The expansion project will support
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up to 9,000 workers at peak construction and create 800 permanent jobs at the facility
when the new units begin operation in 2021 and 2022.

DOE is also supporting the development of smaller reactor designs, such as micro reactors
and small modular reactors, that will offer even more flexibility in size and power capacity
to the customer. These factory-built systems are expected to dramatically reduce
construction timelines and will make nuclear more affordable to build and operate.

⮚ High operating costs

Challenging market conditions have left the nuclear industry struggling to compete. Strict
regulations on maintenance, staffing levels, operator training, and plant inspections have
become a financial burden for the industry.
DOE’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) program is working to overcome these
economic challenges by modernizing plant systems to reduce operation and maintenance
costs, while improving performance. In addition to its materials research that supports the
long-term operation of the nation’s fleet of reactors, the program is also looking to diversify
plant products through non-electric applications such as water desalination and hydrogen
production.
To further improve operating costs. DOE is also working with industry to develop new fuels
and cladding known as accident tolerant fuels. These new fuels could increase plant
performance, allowing for longer response times and will produce less waste. Accident
tolerant fuels could gain widespread use by 2025.

DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

1. There is always the threat of an accident when working with nuclear energy.
When the incident at Chernobyl occurred, modern estimates suggest that up to 30,000
people were killed in the initial fallout and the aftermath of radiation settling into the

20
ground. About 3 million people in the region still struggle with health problems because of
their exposure during this incident. It is a problem that can exist for multiple generations.
Another incident occurred in Japan after a tsunami overwhelmed a coastal nuclear facility.
The United States has not been immune to this disadvantage either. There have been over
50 accidents at nuclear reactors that have either caused more than $50,000 in damages or
involved a fatality. The Three Mile Island accident involved a partial meltdown of Reactor #2
and a radiation leak near Harrisburg, resulting in a cleanup cost that totaled more than $1
billion and required about 15 years of work to complete.

2. The uranium needed for nuclear energy can also become a weapon.
We can turn nuclear energy into a devastating weapon that can haunt countries and
communities for generations afterward. The United States is the only country that has
unleashed this hell during a time of conflict, dropping weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
as a way to end World War II immediately. Those bombs took hundreds of thousands of
lives, and it left fallout issues like cancer and birth defects in those population centers for
decades.
Today’s nuclear weapons are 3,000 times more powerful than what Americans developed
with their allies in the 1940s. The largest weapon ever detonated using this technology
produced 5.3 megatons of energy. This disadvantage means that we must become
proactive about the ways that we guard its use so that it cannot fall into the hands of
someone or a group who would use it for mass murder.

3. There is a waste issue to consider with nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy offers the advantage of being a clean-burning source of energy. It also
creates radioactive waste that is lethal to the environment and hazardous to people. If this
waste is not disposed of correctly, then the harm it causes may last for thousands of years
in some habitats. In the United States, losses that are immediately associated with the
accommodation of nuclear waste materials are estimated to be a minimum of $38 billion.
Politico reports that the expenses could be as high as $65 billion.

4. Exposure to nuclear materials or uranium can create health problems.

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The issue with nuclear energy is that it produces ionizing radiation as one of its side effects.
Although these particles and waves occur in nature, the background exposure levels are
much less than what you would receive when getting an x-ray. If an accident occurs, then
the health impact on humans is immediate. The thyroid is especially sensitive to fallout
exposure, and Cs-137 can have external or internal triggers that can cause problems. This
disadvantage is the reason why you see workers in these facilities wearing an extensive
amount of protective gear whenever they need to be around the equipment.

5. Nuclear energy does not provide us with a renewable energy resource.

Although nuclear energy is not always classified in this manner, it is closer to a fossil fuel
than it is a renewable power resource. We need to have uranium available for these
facilities to operate, and it must be refined to a level that makes it useful for electricity
generation. New facilities can consume thorium too, but this approach still forces us to be
using a natural resource to create what we need.
We must find new reserves of uranium at some point to continue growing the nuclear
power industry. There might be more time to find replacement options than coal or natural
gas, but the clock is still ticking. The United States has an estimated 60 million pounds that
are usable, but some countries have less than 20 years of product available to them.

6. There are long-term storage costs to consider with nuclear power.

It might only cost $9 billion to build a new nuclear energy facility in the United States, but
the American taxpayer is also managing a $38 billion annual bill to store the waste that
these plants produce. That figure includes 38 states of management, so the expense is likely
higher than $50 billion when all of the activities are brought into the figure.
What makes this disadvantage such a problem is that there are starts and stops that occur
in the industry. The American government spent $15 billion to develop a nuclear waste
repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but it has never used it. Power utilities were also
promised that the Department of Energy would start collecting their waste in 1998 – a
promise that now has a $23 billion liability.

7. Uranium mining is necessary to support the nuclear energy industry.

It is not a clean process that we use to mine and refine uranium. There are more than 1,000
holes drilled to look for this natural resource in the United States each year. It costs about
$200 million to produce around 2.5 million pounds of usable product, which means the
harvesting expenditures are much higher than they are for coal or natural gas. The most

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popular method is called in-situ leach mining, which is responsible for 45% of the industry.
About 20% of the mines use the open pit method, creating an entirely new set of
environmental issues that require management.

8. Inefficient nuclear energy transmissions generate a significant loss profile.

To prevent electricity dissipation, high-voltage, low-loss transmission lines must be installed
to support the nuclear energy industry. This addition to a network or grid comes at a higher
cost when compared to the standard low-voltage transmission lines that experience higher
levels of loss.
India can experience losses as high as 30% from electricity sent through the standard
distribution grid when transmission issues combine with theft. In the United States,
electricity losses can be as high as 13% for nuclear energy because the correct infrastructure
is not in place.

9. We do not have a Plan B for when nuclear energy is no longer viable.

Even though we are stockpiling resources around the world to generate electricity, the
nuclear energy industry is far behind what coal, oil, and natural gas producers are offering.
If Americans need to replace all of the operating facilities that use this technology, then the
expense would be about 25% of the current national debt. That financial figure is an
unreasonable expectation to put onto future generations. Since we have about 50 years to
figure things out, now is the time that we need to become active in saving our societies and
our planet.

10. It can take a long time to build a new nuclear facility.

The average amount of time that it takes to build a new nuclear facility is 14.5 years. That
includes the time at the planning phase to the moment it comes online. At the same time,
about 7 million people die from pollution-related causes each year. 90% of those fatalities
are directly connected to the combustion needed for energy. If we would switch our
systems to nuclear, there would still be 93 million people who die before everything could
become usable.
That long time lag between planning and operation is often why countries decide to fund
fossil fuel plants or look at the idea of renewables. It is much easier to obtain construction
permits and bring those facilities online.

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CONCLUSION
There are certainly some dangers to consider when using nuclear power. The threats of
radiation exposure and environmental damage are costly when they occur. Some people
would say that we’ve been lucky to only experience a handful of severe incidents that have
cost a lot of lives and created exclusion zones. The issue with nuclear weapons is also one to
consider with this technology.
At the same time, nuclear power is one of the most efficient methods we have today to
produce electricity. It has a better cost profile than most other resources, and this option
reduces the number of greenhouse gases we release to the atmosphere each year.
The advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy present a risk-reward scenario. If we
are willing to be proactive with the ways that we protect society from a dangerous incident,
then there is a powerful method of electricity generation that will take our societies safely
into the future.
The need to ensure adequate and reliable energy supplies is directly relevant to
development, and to national and international security. As such, energy issues will be a
central feature of the global agenda for the foreseeable future.
With its decision to embark on a nuclear power programme, Indonesia is taking a step to
expand its energy mix and energy availability. At the IAEA, we stand ready to assist you in
finding the solutions that are best suited to your needs and priorities.

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