←back to thread

EU court rules nuclear energy is clean energy

(www.weplanet.org)
1041 points mpweiher | 2 comments | 12 Sep 25 18:18 UTC | HN request time: 0.414s | source
Show context
pkoiralap ◴[12 Sep 25 18:52 UTC] No.45225326[source]▶
Asking because I don't know. How is enrichment governed? Say for instance if a country is only using it for energy vs defense/offense. And are there elements that can be specifically used for energy vs otherwise? Last I remember, having access to enriched uranium was grounds for a country to bomb another one.
replies(8): >>45225374 #>>45225395 #>>45225426 #>>45225479 #>>45225514 #>>45226094 #>>45227838 #>>45230195 #
1. Polizeiposaune ◴[12 Sep 25 19:08 UTC] No.45225514[source]▶
Natural uranium on earth is currently about 0.7% U-235; civilian power reactors typically need low-enriched uranium which is 3% to 5% U-235.

The critical mass required for a weapon shrinks as enrichment increases; implosion designs would require an infinite mass at or below 5.4% enrichment (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enriched_uranium).

Weapons-grade uranium is more like 85%+ U-235. Enrichment above around 20% is what really raises red flags.

replies(1): >>45225868 #
2. magicalhippo ◴[12 Sep 25 19:40 UTC] No.45225868[source]▶
> Enrichment above around 20% is what really raises red flags.

Which, as I understand it, is because at 20% enrichment you've already done about 70% of the work needed to get to 85%.