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Energy & Renewables vocabulary · Hydro, Nuclear and Other Sources

Nuclear power

Meaning in energy & renewables, with examples

/ˈnuːkliər ˈpaʊər/nounCore term

In energy & renewables, nuclear power means: Electricity produced from the heat released when uranium atoms are split in a reactor. It produces almost no carbon dioxide while running.

In Turkish: nükleer enerji, nükleer güç

How it is used

Used in energy policy, engineering and public debate. Countries build, expand or phase out nuclear power. Common phrases: nuclear power plant (NPP), nuclear capacity, nuclear safety. Supporters stress low carbon and steady output; critics point to cost, waste and safety.

Example sentences

  1. Nuclear power provides steady output around the clock.

  2. The first unit of the nuclear power plant is expected to start commercial operation next year.

Common collocations

  • nuclear power plant
  • nuclear capacity
  • nuclear safety
  • phase out nuclear power
  • nuclear reactorThe part of a nuclear power plant where a controlled chain reaction splits uranium atoms and produces heat, which is used to make steam for the turbines.
  • uraniumA heavy, slightly radioactive metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors. For most reactors it is enriched so that the share of the isotope U-235 rises to about 3 to 5 percent.
  • nuclear wasteRadioactive material left over from nuclear power and other nuclear activities, especially spent fuel from reactors, which must be kept safely isolated for very long periods.
  • baseloadThe minimum level of electricity demand that continues day and night, and the power plants that run almost all the time to supply it.

More terms: Hydro, Nuclear and Other Sources

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