Nuclear technology for power generation provides a clean, environmentally friendly source of energy, which is more reliable than wind and solar energy. However, the nuclear fuel rods require periodic replacement which, unlike wind and solar energy, also necessitates safe storage of the used fuel that is still hot and radioactive. In the United States, safe storage of used nuclear fuel relies mainly on interim dry cask storage systems. The absence of a permanent safe storage strategy, such as a geologic repository, puts an unexpected strain on the dry storage canister encasing the used nuclear fuel, which must last for 50 years-a particularly difficult problem for power stations sited in coastal areas.
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