Energy Balance of a Nuclear Power Plant.

The energy balance (the ratio between energy consumed and energy produced) of a nuclear power plant has often been questioned. Once the principles of energy analysis have been laid down with precision, it can be seen that in fact a nuclear power plant of the PWR type produces eleven times more energy than it consumes and its energy yields become positive after three months' operation at full power. The energy analysis is however unable to assess what the nuclear energy produced actually represents. Only an economic approach can do this, but it is known that a nuclear kWh, allowing for all expenses, costs only two thirds as much as a kWh produced from fossil fuel.