All energy produces waste of some sort
Every form of energy production generates some type of waste. It's not just fossil fuels that leave a carbon footprint. Worn out solar energy panels and discarded wind turbine blades are examples of waste from clean, renewable energy sources. Nuclear power also generates nuclear waste. The creation of enormous amounts of electricity results in relatively small amounts of nuclear waste. From mop heads and gloves to used fuel, nuclear waste comes in a number of different forms.
How is nuclear waste created?
The nuclear energy generation process is quite simple. In nuclear fission, uranium atoms are split to release energy in the form of heat. The split atoms continue a chain reaction releasing more and more heat and radiation. The heat is used to boil water, creating steam that turns a turbine and produces electricity. The uranium pellets which serve as fuel for the reactor now contain radioactive fission products. At the time they are removed and replaced in the reactor, they are classified as used fuel and categorized as high-level waste.
Radiation also remains present in materials used within the reactor and at lower levels in materials used in proximity to the reactor or in proximity to stored radioactive materials.
Learn more about the power of nuclear energy at wattnext.ca and g4g.opg.com.
Three levels of waste
Nuclear waste materials are divided into three major categories: High-level waste, intermediate-level waste, and low-level waste. High-level waste, made up of used nuclear fuel pellets and the fuel bundles that the pellets are contained in, accounts for about 3% of all nuclear waste handled by OPG, but it is the most radioactive and demands the highest level of care and attention, now and into the future.
The waste that's classified as intermediate-level makes up about 7% and is made up mostly of resins, seals, and used equipment from the reactor core.
Approximately 90% of all nuclear waste that OPG handles is low-level waste. This category of waste is made up of everything from hard hats and hammers to used packaging and cleaning supplies. Reduction is a major focus of care for low-level waste.
At OPG, our approach to each of these categories of waste is different. What remains unchanged is our commitment to actively preventing, managing, and even harnessing nuclear waste.
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