Net fossil energy savings for alternative mixes in various electric supply systems.

Abstract

Actual and projected electric power station building programs of several countries and regions have been examined to determine what effect the introduction of nuclear power has on fossil fuel usage by the electricity system. It was found that (i) nuclear power leads directly to savings in fossil fuel usage, a larger nuclear component leading to larger savings; (ii) individual nuclear stations rapidly wipe out the energy 'debt' incurred during building; and (iii) the relatively short periods of consolidation in the early stages of a nation's building program usually prevent the nuclear component from going into energy 'debt'. Assessments of the energy requirements to build and run various types of power station have been made from the available literature.