Use of Nuclear energy

Here, we're going to discuss the use of nuclear energy and specifically the use of
nuclear energy for electricity genera8on. So, almost exclusively, the use of nuclear
energy is for the genera8on of electricity. This map shows the amount of nuclear energy
use which is essen8ally the same as the amount of electricity produced using nuclear
energy. We see the United States produces the most, it's not the most as a frac8on of
how much energy it produced, how much electricity it produces in total, but in terms of
gross numbers, it's the highest. France being number two, you see Canada is a liDle
further down the list around number six. If we consider this as a percent of the total
electricity produced in a country, we see that France is far and away the country that
uses the highest percentage of their electricity being produced by nuclear energy, we
see Canada is down around 15% or so. So, France at 72% is number one, and then
there's a few countries, four countries that are around and over 50%, and then it drops
off from there. So, as I men8oned, nuclear energy accounts for about 15% of the total
electricity genera8on in Canada. This is, however, since the last nuclear plant closed in
Quebec in 2012. This is only in two provinces, so it's 15% of the total, but it's only in
Ontario and New Brunswick, where electricity is actually generated through nuclear
power. In fact, between 2014 and 2040, the amount of electricity produced through
nuclear power is predicted to decrease from about 100 terawaD hours down to 77
terawaD hours. Some of this is due to the fact that there needs to be refurbishment done
to some of these nuclear units. So, it's scheduled during that period; aTerwards it's not
100% clear what the electricity genera8on will be once these are refurbished. However,
there are no nuclear units an8cipated to be built in any province during that 8me period.
Small Modular Reactors are SMR or SMRs are small, so both in power output and
physical size, so you think in the kind of building blocks, which is why you think of them
as modular as well, so you can put as many or as few together as you need for the
uses. It's scalable and portable, so they're small both in physical size, but also in
amount of power put more together you have bigger size, more power. So, this is what
the small and modular is and, of course, the reactors. These use nuclear fission to
produce energy for electricity. This hybrid system is also water desalina8on, or high
quality steam for heavy industrial applica8ons can be used from them as well. So,
hybrid system that produces electricity, and also these other things. So, quo8ng from
Canada's SMR ac8on plan, "This technology has the poten8al for a range of
applica8ons. From grid-scale units that can provide non-emi[ng reliable electricity, to
smaller units suitable for heavy industry, and powering remote communi8es. Several
provinces are ac8vely pursuing SMRs, and Canada's first SMR could be in opera8on as
early as the mid-to late 2020s." So, this is something that could be promising, it would
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be an advantage to some of the other for example, fossil fuel produc8on also has some
advantages over some of the drawbacks of hydro and also of large-scale reactors. So,
summarizing this a liDle bit. The total amount of electricity generated from nuclear power
is predicted to increase but not as much as the total amount of electricity produced will
increase. So in the OECD countries, the total amount is staying fairly stable, but the
frac8on is decreasing. So, the total amount of energy produced is increasing and the
total amount of nuclear energy is staying the same. So the frac8on is decreasing. In
other countries like China, India, for example, the amount of electricity generated
through nuclear power is predicted to increase by quite a bit, and the total frac8on of
nuclear genera8on is predicted to decrease overall, however.