The Westinghouse AP1000 - Power for a New Generation

摘要

Energy is never far from today's news. Frequently this is due to climate change and the quest for increasing amounts of energy whilst simultaneously making dramatic reductions in our carbon emissions. We also face concerns over meeting the nation's demand for energy, as many of our current power stations approach closure and, if that were not enough, energy prices have been a concern to many as bills have rocketed in recent years. Balancing these three issues -environmental acceptability, security and price -has become an increasingly difficult challenge for policy makers. I will discuss the events which have led to this situation, the role nuclear can play in resolving the conundrum, and one particular technology - the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor -which is particularly well-suited to the UK market.