The main sources of power in Ukraine

There are a few different types of sources of power in Ukraine.Among them are hydro power plants,heat power stations and nuclear power stations.

Ukraine is heavily dependent on nuclear energy.It has 5 nuclear power station with 15 nuclear reactors which generate about half country’s electricity.20% of the total energy produced by the country is exported to neighboring countries.

Uranium and coal for the fuelling of nuclear stations is mind by Ukraine itself and it imports oil and gas from Russia,as well as the main equipment for reactors.Nuclear energy development started in 1970 with construction of the Chernobyl power plant which was considered to be the biggest of all stations in Ukraine.Nowadays Rivno power station is in the first place of the largest nuclear station in the country.

Nuclear power is,probably,the easiest method of energy production and have many advantages.The amount of energy that forms during the burning of 1 kilo of uranium is equal to that of 2500 kilo of coal.20-30 tones of nuclear fuel,that is concentrated and transportable,works for several years.Nuclear plants can be build in any place where they are required to be.The construction of the station is as cheap as electricity itself.The process of electricity generation is not accompanied by environmental pollution.

Despite being the quickest way of extracting energy nuclear stations have negative impact on their surrounding,for example the emission of deadly radiation into atmosphere as result of breakdowns,as happened in 1986 at unit 4 of the Chernobyl power station.

Fossil fuels and problems associated with them

From the beginning of the time man’s life has been depending on fuels of many kinds.At first people used wood,leaves and hay.But with time we are explored the earth and began to consume fossil fuels such as coal,petroleum,natural gas,etc.Nowadays,fuels are continuously following human progress and it is impossible to separate them from civilized life.

Despite many advantages we have plenty of problems that are caused by inefficient usage of fuels.In the first place it causes environmental damage.The burning of coal sends ash into the air and other harmful materials,which in tern create smog.Another type of fuel ,natural gas,is important for industrial needs as it can be delivered in a compressed form in any volume proportional to any spot around the planet.It is commonly held belief that as a result of combustion of natural gas,carbon dioxide and some poisonous gases are released.Where the first mentioned above has an impact on Global warming and the second falls as acid rain destroying crops.The last type of fossil fuels,that some people call the only reason for wars,is petroleum also known in everyday life as oil.

A few experts claim that cars fueled by petroleum are a major source of carbon monoxide emissions which cause health problems for humans ,right up to heart attack and lung cancer.In addition to this the spillage of oil on the surface of water from mobile oil platform and oil tankers has a most catastrophic effect on the aquatic world and its inhabitants.With the spread of fuel on the top,a dense layer of dangerous substance emerges.This thick layer prevents aqua dwellers from breathing and as well as that it can suck in birds which are landing on the top of the water.

Unfortunately fossil fuels trigger many arguments.However it has been forecast that we are running out of them.Of course,it will not happen in near future but eventually we will no longer be able to rely on them to power our economies.