Politicians in campaign say that they will
stop nuclear plants to replace them by
wind-turbine farms.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• Nuclear reactors decommissioning.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• Hydropower energy.
• Solar power energy.
• Wind-turbines energy
What means going green?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Power Today
• Provides almost 20% of world’s electricity (8% in U.S.)
• 69% of U.S. non-carbon electricity generation
• 104 plants in U.S.
• 54 in Japan generating 30% of power in full capacity
• 200+ plants in the Europe
• Leader is France with about 80% of its power from nuclear (58 nuclear plants)
• China operates 15, builds 25 and plans 51.
It is an “enclosed” system where nuclear
reactions are held generating heat to
activate turbine with water steam.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
What is the main feed of a nuclear reactor?
Uranium 65%
Plutonium 35%
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
What is the danger of a nuclear reactor?
• Control lost
• Lost of radioactive material
• Waste disposal
• Irradiation
Nuclear reactors dismantling is not a
common process, it doesn't follow
common protocol due to radiation hazard
especially.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Dismantling can start more than 20 years
after decommissioning starts.
Nuclear reactors decommissioning cost
between $200-$2,600/KWe meaning from
M$400 to M$3,000 per site according to
specialists.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
2,000 to 4,000 wind turbines will replace a
single nuclear reactor.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
A wind farm will use 300 times the surface
used by a single nuclear reactor.
2,000 wind turbines is equivalent to 1,200
to 2,400 tons of the famous NdBFe
magnets in gearless wind turbines.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
NdBFe magnets have been discovered in
80s. They are 100 times Stronger than
ferrite magnets discovered in early 20s.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Less efficient but cheaper than SmCo
magnets, an other RE (Rare Earth) magnet
discovered in 70s.
RE Resources
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• China 31%
• CIS 22%
• USA 15%
• Australia 6%
• India 1%
• Malaysia
• Malawi• South Africa
• Namibia
• Madagascar
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Burundi
}<1%
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Dysprosium Praseodymium Fluoride
PrF3
Sublimed
Ytterbium Metal
Neodymium
REO
Pr Ce
La
Nd
Sm
Gd
RE production is responsible of important
pollution especially in China as this
country is the actual supplier of 95 to 97%
of rare earth material.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Buying more RE material from the main RE
supplier is increasing scarcity factor
giving as well more pressure on RE prices.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
China is lowering RE export for
environmental point of view and for its
own purpose.
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Stopping plenty nuclear reactors is it the
right choice?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• while money for dismantling and land remediation
per site is so important and often not available.
• while skilled dismantlers are not ready.
• while everybody know that resources are limited?
Moving from nuclear reactors to wind-
turbines energy is it the right choice?
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• while countries will have to change material
sourcing
• while changing material sourcing means often
changing dependency
• while changing material means often increasing
scarcity
Moving from nuclear reactors to wind turbines energy
is not as people or politicians may think only a
challenge between nuclear energy and green
energies,
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
it is also a metals war and should be addressed
properly to miner, metallurgist, environmentalist and
economists.
Talking about moving from nuclear
reactors to wind-turbines energy means:
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
• a good knowledge of nuclear reactor dismantling
• a good knowledge of alternate resources especially RE
• a good knowledge of RE production environmental
impact
• a good comparisons of energy vs. surface ratio
Wind-Turbine vs. Nuclear Energy
Talking about moving from nuclear energy
to wind energy is not so smart.