fission

As part of its energy surge, China has pushed rapid investment into the only technology that currently can decarbonize the planet at scale: nuclear fission and fusion.

In the longer term, Google is looking toward nuclear fusion as opposed to fission: While the latter is used currently in power plants, the former can provide much more energy in a potentially safer process.

The vessel is the core of the reactor where fission takes place, and the only part of a nuclear plant that can’t be replaced.

It is produced by nuclear fission for use in medical gauges and devices, but can also be a byproduct of nuclear reactors and weapons testing, the agency said.

But because no nuclear reaction is taking place at the enrichment sites - and a blast from a bomb would not trigger one - these dangerous radioactive "fission products" would not be present, he said.