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Nuclear power currently provides 10% of the world’s energy. But should it be a larger part of the energy mix if the planet is to reach net-zero?
In China the Zhangzhou nuclear plant is in its second phase of construction and could power millions of homes but what are the risks and do they outweigh the benefits?
Juliet Mann from CGTN’s ‘The Agenda’ explains.
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00:00 As the world's population grows, so does the need for power. Nuclear energy provides
00:06 10% of the world's electricity. But still some 733 million people in rural areas are
00:13 going without. To meet demand, there's been a push for more nuclear power plants. Nuclear
00:20 is reliable, durable and cost-effective. Plus, the greenhouse gas emissions are low. In China,
00:28 the Zhangzhou nuclear plant in Fujian province is in its second phase of construction, on
00:33 track to power millions of homes. But nuclear energy of course has its downsides. Accidents
00:40 like Chernobyl and Fukushima highlight the consequences when things go wrong. And disposing
00:46 of radioactive waste remains a massive challenge. That's why scientists are excited about nuclear
00:54 fusion. It's been hailed as the holy grail of clean energy for its potential to produce
00:59 lots of it without requiring any fossil fuels or leaving behind any hazardous waste. The
01:07 process mimics what powers the sun. It's been really hard to harness nuclear fusion energy,
01:13 but now scientists are using artificial intelligence to help. This year, UK-based Jet Laboratory
01:20 set a new world record, producing 69 megajoules of energy over five seconds. That's only enough
01:27 to heat around five hot baths. But scale it up and it could be the world's answer to limitless
01:34 clean power. So what is the role of nuclear in powering our future? And how green will
01:42 it really be?
01:43 Thank you.

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