#10 Nuclear power supplies industry with electricity and heat with a very low carbon footprint

(for sustainable industrialization or reindustrialization)

How does nuclear contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goal #9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure?

Industrial development is energy intensive. Nuclear reactors produce abundant energy that can meet this need while minimizing the associated environmental impact.

Innovation expands the potential of nuclear technologies. The nuclear industry is pursuing the development of more efficient fuels to improve the performance of existing reactors, as well as the development of new reactor concepts which will have a wider field of applications.

In addition to the electricity supply, high temperature reactors can replace fossil fuels for low-carbon supply of industrial heat, with applications such as hydrogen production.

New nuclear projects support many manufacturing companies that produce the components needed for construction. Increasingly, new nuclear power projects are structured to support local supply chains, fostering more inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

Once in operation, nuclear power plants continue to provide hundreds of highly skilled jobs for many decades.

Nuclear techniques can help make other industries more sustainable and secure. Non-destructive nuclear testing verifies the structural integrity of machines and materials without causing damage. One of these techniques is industrial radiography, which is used to inspect welds.

The full report of the World Nuclear Association is available here.