Nuclear power, also called atomic power, refers to the process of obtaining nuclear energy through nuclear reactions. This process generates heat, which is later used in steam turbines. The purpose here is to create electricity in a specialized plant. The heat that appears at the nuclear power plants is created when the atoms split apart, a process that bears the name nuclear fission.
The fission process releases energy through heat and neutrons. The neutrons that are released move on to hit other neutrons, which leads to a repetition of the process. This means that there is more and more heat created. Most of the times, the fuel that is used to trigger the entire process is uranium.
There is also another category of the nuclear energy source called nuclear fusion, but this one is extremely expensive and scientists could only accomplish it in the laboratory.
Renewable energy is the name given to the energy produced by renewable sources. This means that they can naturally replenish themselves over time. So, is nuclear energy renewable? First, let’s look at the six main sources of renewable energy:
Rain;
Wind;
Sunlight;
Tides;
Waves;
Geothermal heat.
They are used mostly in the following important fields: air and water cooling/heating, generating electricity, transportation, and off-grid energy services.