The nuclear energy in the 21. century

The role of nuclear energy in each country will depend on its technical and economic performance as well as the national energy context. Sustainable development policies being implemented at the turn of the century emphasize, besides economic competitiveness, environmental protection and social aspects. Nuclear power plants are capital intensive and take longer to build than other thermal power plants but their marginal production costs are very low. Nuclear electricity generation costs are nearly insensitive to uranium price fluctuation. World known uranium resources can supply fuel to nuclear power plants for a century at least and much longer if advanced nuclear systems are implemented. Nuclear energy is a means to reduce carbon emissions and thereby the risks of global climate change. Furthermore, R and D initiatives launched recently aim at designing innovative nuclear systems that could address the concerns of society in terms of safety, waste management and disposal, and proliferation resistance, while remaining competitive. (author)