Comprehensive standards: the power generation case

This study presents an illustrative data base of material quantities and environmental effluents in the fuel cycles for alternative technologies of thermally generated power. The entire fuel cycle for each of the alternative ten technologies is outlined for a representative power plant generating 1000 Mw of electrical power. The required utilization of material resources and the fuel-cycle material quantities are indicated on a flow sheet for each technology. The technologies considered are: (1) Light Water Nuclear Reactor; (2)Coal: Appalachian Bituminous and Northwestern Sub-bituminous; (3) Residual fuel oil; (4) Natural Gas; (5) High Sulfur Coal, with Coal Gasification and Sulfur Removal; (6) High Sulfur Coal, with SO2 recovery by Wet-Limestone Scrubbing; (7) Geothermal Steam; (8) Breeder Fission Reactor; (9) Solar Energy; and (10) Thermonuclear Fusion