What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy
Fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous energy sources, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are vastly safer and cleaner, Kazinform News Agency has learned from Energyprom.kz.
According to “Our World In Data”, fossil fuels are the dirtiest and most dangerous, while nuclear and modern renewable energy sources are vastly safer and cleaner.
Fossil fuels (coal, lignite, and oil) are the most polluting and hazardous sources of energy, emitting the highest levels of greenhouse gases. The mortality rate per unit of electricity produced by coal-fired power plants ranges from 32.7 to 24.6, depending on the type of coal used.
In comparison to fossil fuels, nuclear power and renewables are considerably safer. The number of fatalities at wind, nuclear and solar power plants is minimal. Nuclear power results in 99.9% fewer deaths than lignite, 99.8% fewer deaths than coal, 99.7% fewer deaths than oil, and 97.6% fewer deaths than gas.
The study also provides insight into mortality rates for cities with a population of 150,000 people consuming 1 TWh of electricity per year. If the city were to rely solely on coal as its primary energy source, an estimated 25 deaths per year would be attributed to air pollution.
Coal is the primary source of pollution, emitting 100 times more greenhouse gases than nuclear fuel. The carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants are 970 tons per 1 GWh, in comparison to 720 tons from oil, 440 tons from gas, 78 to 230 tons from biomass, 53 tons from solar power plants, 24 tons from hydroelectric power plants, 11 tons from wind power plants, and 6 tons from nuclear.
