physics

Nuclear Energy Board

Nuclear Energy Board is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nuclear Energy Board rather than just read about it. In short: The Nuclear Energy Board (officially titled An Bord Fuinnimh Núicléigh) was an Irish agency charged with developing nuclear power in Ireland. It was established in Ireland on 30 November 1973 by the Nuclear Energy (An Bord Fuinnimh Núicléigh) Act 1971.

Key takeaways

Nuclear Energy Board belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nuclear Energy Board to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nuclear Energy Board from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Nuclear Energy Board (officially titled An Bord Fuinnimh Núicléigh) was an Irish agency charged with developing nuclear power in Ireland. It was established in Ireland on 30 November 1973 by the Nuclear Energy (An Bord Fuinnimh Núicléigh) Act 1971. The board was responsible in the 1970s for pursuing the policy of developing a nuclear power station, which was to be located at Carnsore Point, County Wexford. This policy ultimately failed and the board gradually faded from public attention, eventually concentrating on nuclear-related environmental reports. It was not a large organisation, with the Electricity Supply Board doing most operational work.

Nuclear power

Planning In 1968, Ireland's economic development required more energy production and the Electricity Supply Board began evaluating ways of diversifying its electricity generation. The Turlough Hill project had just commenced and this was one of the most prestigious engineering projects since the foundation of the state and the Shannon hydroelectric scheme. In the 1970s the need for new energy sources became more urgent, especially after the 1973 energy crisis. In 1975 Bord Gáis was established in order to develop Kinsale gas field, slowing the nuclear energy project as it was hoped it may be an alternative. However, in 1974 planning permission was sought for four reactors with County Wexford County Council, with one to be built immediately, most likely of pressurized water reactor design.

Uncertainty The economic slowdown of 1974 and 1975 saw the project temporarily put on hold. When Desmond O'Malley became the new Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy in 1977 the project once again became a priority of government policy. This time the government wanted to build a 650 MW plant at Carnsore at a cost of £350 million (Punt) at then-prices. In 1979 the project was again postponed, following a change in government when George Colley became the new minister in charge of the project and the incident at Three Mile Island in the United States. Friends of the Earth and other groups lobbied against the plan and in 1981 the Electricity Supply Board and the government announced it was no longer national policy.

Cancellation Ultimately the board was remembered for the plans put on and off hold, and resulting immense controversy. Also there was criticism that the government overestimated the need of energy in Ireland in the future; at one point it was estimated that industry would consume 57% of energy by 1990 - internationally this is rather large, as 40% is a typical value. Nevertheless, Ireland in the 1970s was regarded as being in a dangerous position on energy, as 75% of needs were met by oil, and European Economic Community policy was to reduce this below 50% by 1985, after two energy crises.

Aftermath After 1981 the Nuclear Energy Board was not immediately abolished, instead rather than becoming nuclear advocate, with the board became redefined in a new role as an environmentalist. The board sponsored a number of reports, in particular on the Sellafield plant which has long been a source of dispute between Ireland and the United Kingdom. On 1 April 1992 the successor to the board was established, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. The production of electricity for supply to the national grid, by nuclear fission, is currently prohibited under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (Section 18).

References Nuclear Energy Board Final Report 1973-1992, Dublin 1992. (PDF)

Footnotes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nuclear Energy Board

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nuclear Energy Board claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nuclear Energy Board before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nuclear Energy Board ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nuclear Energy Board

In research: Nuclear Energy Board appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nuclear Energy Board in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nuclear Energy Board is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1973 establishments in Ireland, Energy in the Republic of Ireland, Environment of the Republic of Ireland, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nuclear Energy Board outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Nuclear Energy Board in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nuclear Energy Board means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nuclear Energy Board out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nuclear Energy Board in simple terms?

Why does Nuclear Energy Board matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nuclear Energy Board?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nuclear Energy Board.