Pros and Cons of the Different Types of Power Plants: Hydroelectric, Thermal and Nuclear Power Plants

In developed and developing countries, sustainable energy source is the most important subject. There are many different methods of energy production and consumption. Using the cheap, abundant and clean energy sources for generating the electricity is the basic idea of production. Electrical energy is generated from different kinds of power plants. These plants can be put into three groups; hydroelectric power plants, thermal power plants and nuclear power plants. Hydroelectric power plants are used the potential energy of water. Thermal power plants are used the non-renewable energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas and the nuclear power plants are used the radioactive elements for generating electricity.

Depending on progress of technology of the countries’ energy consumption is increasing day by day. Countries have started to use different kinds of energy sources like hydropower, solar, wind, waves and nuclear energy except fuel foils to close their energy gaps. Especially in the developed countries all of the hydroelectric production capacity has almost used yet the alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass is limited. Using fossil fuels or coal cause many problems such as environment and air pollution. Because of these limitations governments have directed to use nuclear energy sources. The main advantages of the nuclear energy are the cheapest price, low environmental pollution and long lasting source of the reserves. This paper discussed the advantages and the disadvantages of the nuclear energy which is used as an indispensable energy source in France, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, and some Scandinavian countries, Russia and many other countries. In this essay, it is claimed that in this c...

... middle of paper ...

...ar Power in Australia- Why, Whether and How’ The case for nuclear energy, General Manager, Uranium Information Centre, Melbourne, 28 June, pp. 1-5

Lowe, I 2007, Reaction Time, ‘Climate Change and the Nuclear’ Quarterly Essay, pp. 1-6

Stieglitz, R & Docksai, R, 2009 ‘Why the World May Turn to Nuclear Power’ The Futurist, pp. 17-22.

The Economics of Nuclear Power, 2010, World Nuclear Association

Wareham Oam, S, 2007 The Nuclear Industry: A History Of Misleading Claims,briefing paper 20, pp. 1-13, viewed 1 Oct 2009.

Outhred, H, 2006, What Role For Nuclear Power In The Australian Electricity Industry? AIE National Conference – Energy at the crossroads – November 2006 , Nuclear power in the Australian Electricity Industry, University of New South Wales.