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Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems

Author

Listed:
  • Akhil Kadiyala

    (Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

  • Raghava Kommalapati

    (Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
    Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

  • Ziaul Huque

    (Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX 77446, USA)

Abstract

This paper statistically quantifies the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from six distinct reactor-based (boiling water reactor (BWR), pressurized water reactor (PWR), light water reactor (LWR), heavy-water-moderated reactor (HWR), gas-cooled reactor (GCR), fast breeder reactor (FBR)) nuclear power generation systems by following a two-step approach that included (a) performing a review of the lifecycle assessment (LCA) studies on the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems; and (b) statistically evaluating the lifecycle GHG emissions (expressed in grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour, gCO 2 e/kWh) for each of the reactor-based nuclear power generation systems to assess the role of different types of nuclear reactors in the reduction of the lifecycle GHG emissions. Additionally, this study quantified the impacts of fuel enrichment methods (centrifuge, gaseous diffusion) on GHG emissions. The mean lifecycle GHG emissions resulting from the use of BWR (sample size, N = 15), PWR (N = 21), LWR (N = 7), HWR (N = 3), GCR (N = 1), and FBR (N = 2) in nuclear power generation systems are 14.52 gCO 2 e/kWh, 11.87 gCO 2 e/kWh, 20.5 gCO 2 e/kWh, 28.2 gCO 2 e/kWh, 8.35 gCO 2 e/kWh, and 6.26 gCO 2 e/kWh, respectively. The FBR nuclear power generation systems produced the minimum lifecycle GHGs. The centrifuge enrichment method produced lower GHG emissions than the gaseous diffusion enrichment method.

Suggested Citation

  • Akhil Kadiyala & Raghava Kommalapati & Ziaul Huque, 2016. "Quantification of the Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-13, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:9:y:2016:i:11:p:863-:d:81304
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    References listed on IDEAS

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