How Long can Nuclear Power Sustain the Global Electricity Supply?

Question

I recently read in George Monbiots book "Heat" that there are sufficient identified reserves of Uranium to sustain *global* supply - meaning all global demand for electricity - for about 7 years, assuming no additional reserves are identified and consumption doesn't climb.

Monbiot assumes that we do not advantage ourselves of Fast Breeder reactors, which generate additional fuel (plutonium and other byproducts) as a part of their operation.

My question is, if fast breeder reactors were to be deployed, accounting presently identified supplies of Uranium, for how long could they meet global electricity demand?

I am interested in a technical answer to this, if one exists, along the lines of what % of material from a fast breeder reaction makes itself available for re use (for want of better words) i.e. a mathematical progression.

Does anyone know?

Answer 1

"No, Mr. Ahmadinejad, we don't believe you.  There's no way you want to be the world's power source.  The only source of power, more likely."

Sorry all I have is sarcasm, but it was fun.

There's no way I can answer this one.

Answer 2

About 2% of the available energy is now taken from the uranium in a reactor.   That's including the large percentage that goes to waste as low grade heat.   A breeder reactor would produce 49 times as much energy from the same amount of uranium so we would have 343 years worth of nuclear fuel left if we ever got around to using the breeder reactors again.   There are other elements created in the fission process that can be used to make power with too.   I forget what element it was, but one radioactive one emits a cascade of alpha particles when bombarded with x-rays.   It puts out 10 times as much power as it takes to run the x-rays.  Since the alpha particles aren't able to go through a piece of cardboard but can heat up air, it could be used for a jet engine or gas turbine.   From what the article I read said it would be able to produce power for around 30 years before it wasn't usable anymore.