Characteristics features, economical aspects and environmental impacts of gen-4 nuclear power for developing countries

Abstract

The growing demand of energy has delicate the requirement of alternative sources of energies other than fossil fuels. Though renewable energy resources like solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal energy appear as environment friendly, replenishing sources of energy, a comprehensive solution appears far-fetched as far as large scale production and wide-spread dissemination is concerned when long term cost factors are taken into consideration. In this paper, discussions on the advanced fourth generation nuclear power on the basis of environmental contamination, energy security, cost of fossil fuels and electricity generation and have philosophy to the prospects of nuclear power as the ultimate future energy option for the developing countries are done. This study proposes that gen-4 nuclear appears to be a long term environment favorable panacea to the much discoursed problem of energy crisis by maintaining energy security and long term cost concern in developing countries as well as in the whole world.

Keywords: Gen-4 nuclear, reactor, kinetics, neutron, delayed neutron, transient.