Nuclear and Radiochemistry

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is the utilization of nuclear reactions that discharges nuclear energy to generate heat, which most often as possible is then used in steam turbines to produce power in a nuclear power station. The term incorporates nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion. Currently, the nuclear fission of components in the actinide series of the periodic table deliver the vast majority of nuclear energy in the direct service of mankind, with nuclear decay processes, mainly in the form of geothermal energy, and radioisotope thermoelectric generators, in speciality utilizes making up the rest.

Nuclear (fission) power stations, barring the contribution from maritime nuclear fission reactors, provided 11% of the world's power in 2012, somewhat less than that generated by hydro-electric energy stations at 16%. Since electricity represents around 25% of humankind’s energy usage with the majority of the rest originating from fossil fuel dependant sectors such as transport, manufacturing and home warming, nuclear fission's contribution to the worldwide final energy consumption is around 2.5%, somewhat more than the combined global power production from "new renewables"; wind energy, solar energy, biofuel and geothermal power, which altogether provided 2% of global final energy utilization in 2014.