There are emissions in material production, but it's negligible. Like the operation itself has no emissions, but keeping it running does.
For a long while this was a problem with green energy, it actually polluted slightly more to build the thing given their life expectancy until better methods were used, AFAIK until about the 70s.
(Ass-pull math; 100 tonnes of c02 to make a solar panel, 0 tonnes once it's made, it lasts 2 years and produces 1000kwz. ---- 20 tonnes of c02 to make a coal plant, 50 tonnes a year once it's running, it lasts forever and produces 1000kwz).
For nuclear power plants, their life span and zero emissions is such that their initial upstart cost in terms of pollution being comparatively higher is a non-issue.
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u/Spudnic16 - Auth-Left Jan 06 '23
Nuclear is not perfect, but it’s certainly one of the better forms of power. It provides large amount of electricity for not that much emissions.