Conclusion
Nuclear Reactors - Generalities 1. Boilers and Fuel Cycle - Systems - Main Constraints

Nuclear fission is a renewable energy source capable of supporting a human population that would remain “sustainable” for the Earth’s natural resources as a whole.

The key to this sustainability is the regeneration of spent fissile nuclei. Nuclear energy is well-positioned relative to other renewable energy sources in terms of cost-benefit ratio.

After a meteoric start, a period of rapid development, and strong growth, the momentum was halted in the 1970s. Hopes for a “renaissance” around 2000–2004 were dashed by the 2008 crisis, exacerbated by the Fukushima accident in 2011. The recovery is driven by growth in Asia and the prospect of fleet renewal in Europe and the United States beyond 2030/2040.

Optimizing a multi-tiered Gen-IV-type fleet is the challenge of the end of the century.