| There
is uranium in sea water
How much to run a nuke for a year?
There is no shortage of
|
The oceans have about 0.00015 grams of uranium
per metric ton (tonne, occupying one cubic meter) of water, or about 150
kilograms per cubic kilometer.
The energy from uranium fission (if breeders are used) in about 6 to 7 cubic kilometers of sea water would be enough to run a one-billion watt (electric) power plant for a year. The continental shelf off the east coast of the
United States is roughly 1500 miles (2400 km) north-to-south, and extends
roughly 200 miles (320 km) out, making an area of roughly 750,000 square
kilometers. The uranium in the top 1/100 of a millimeter, therefore,
could keep one large nuclear reactor running for one year.
oceanic data from: The Handbook
of Chemistry & Physics
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