Our scientists and engineers associated with power generation of nuclear power are mislead and accepting it (nuclear power) as a green power even though it is emitting green house gas ( moisture from its cooling towers) and rejecting 72% of its cycle heat into environment with cycle efficiency 28%. It is more harmful than fossil fuel fired thermal power with cycle efficiency 36%. It is carbon free is true and plant area is neat and clean is also true, but it is polluting environment at greater rate than a fossil fuel fired thermal power plant. Please discuss and comment for sake of present bad environmental conditions of planet earth out of man made global warming and climate change disasters. Thanks.
Radhashyam Muduli.
World Citizens Forum
Bhubaneswar, India.
25/09/2025.
On account of less cost of nuclear power authorities like govt. are preferring nuclear power but they have not enough foresight to consider that nuclear power is heating environment at greater rate than conventional thermal power.
Thanks.
That’s a sharp and important question. According to www.iaea.org and www.world-nuclear.org, nuclear power is often labeled as “green” or low-carbon; however, the reality is more nuanced. Let’s break it down into the two issues raised: greenhouse gas emissions and waste heat.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Direct emissions: Nuclear reactors themselves do not burn fuel, so they emit virtually no CO₂ emissions during operation.
- Life-cycle emissions: Mining, fuel enrichment, plant construction, and decommissioning do produce greenhouse gases. However, studies show that nuclear’s life-cycle emissions are comparable to those of wind and significantly lower than those of solar PV, and far lower than fossil fuels.
- Climate role: Since electricity generation is one of the largest sources of CO₂, nuclear power is considered a low-carbon technology that can help displace coal and gas.
Waste Heat (the 72% efficiency loss)
- Thermal efficiency: Thermal power plants (coal, gas, biomass) convert only ~30–35% of the heat into electricity. The rest is considered waste.
- Environmental impact: This heat is usually released into rivers, lakes, or the atmosphere via cooling towers. It can cause thermal pollution, stressing aquatic ecosystems.
- Why still “green”? Waste heat is not a greenhouse gas. It is a localized environmental issue, not a global climate driver. Fossil plants also reject similar proportions of waste heat plus emit massive CO₂. Nuclear avoids the latter. Advanced designs (e.g., small modular reactors, high-temperature reactors) aim to improve the efficiency of nuclear power plants.
The Balance
- Strength: Nuclear provides large-scale, reliable, low-carbon electricity, which is critical for decarbonization.
- Weakness: It still has environmental costs—thermal pollution, radioactive waste, and accident risks.
- Perspective: Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear’s trade-offs are considered acceptable in climate strategies.
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