? Will the world return to dependence on nuclear energy
Europe is in a very difficult situation with the accumulation of several crises between the problem of Russian gas supplies and drought
Interest in the nuclear energy sector has returned with the emergence of climate arguments, as it does not directly cause carbon dioxide emissions (AFP)
Nuclear is re- emerging as a solution in light of the energy crisis and the requirements of climate -related goals . It is receiving renewed interest in many countries, even Japan and Germany , even if the ambitions differ among them.
Eleven years after the Fukushima disaster, which led to a halt to reliance on nuclear, this energy has returned to the fore, and industrialists and politicians who support the use of atom no longer hide their optimism.
Japan...a radical change
And in a gesture that bears great symbolism, Japan itself intends to launch a workshop to build new plants. Its government announced, on Wednesday, 24 August, that it is considering launching in the future the operation of “new generation reactors equipped with new safety mechanisms”, in order to ensure carbon neutrality, but Also, about the sharp rise in electricity and gas prices since the start of the Russian war against Ukraine.
Tokyo intends at the present time to restart some sites and extend their validity period, which reflects a radical change in the position of a country that derives less than 4 percent of its electricity last year from nuclear, compared to 30 percent before 2011 when it operated 54 reactors.
Germany... a forbidden break
This project has become possible under the current favorable conditions, at a time when public opinion is expressing fears of an energy crisis and concerns about dependence on gas, oil and coal imports.
Other countries also changed their position, after they took the path of abandoning nuclear energy, including Belgium, which intends to extend the work of two reactors for a period of 10 years.
And in Germany, which was supposed to close the last three remaining plants by the end of 2022, a taboo was broken when climate minister Robert Habeck, an environmentalist, declared since February that it might be “appropriate” to postpone the shutdown in light of the war. in Ukraine.
Berlin is waiting to receive new studies on its electrical system in light of the needs of the winter season to make its decision.
not a solution
However, Gerald Neubauer, an energy expert in the German branch of Greenpeace, said that "the nuclear extension does not constitute a solution to the energy crisis," stressing that this energy source has limited effectiveness to compensate for Russian gas. He stressed that "the gas is used in particular for heating, not for electricity."
But Nicholas Bergmans, an expert at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, believes that "extending the work of the stations can help." He explained that "Europe is in a very difficult situation in terms of energy with the accumulation of several crises, between the problem of Russian gas supplies and drought, which has limited the capacity of dams and the weak capacity of French nuclear plants, and therefore all means are important."
Interest in this sector has returned with the emergence of climate arguments, as nuclear energy does not directly emit carbon dioxide. The share of maize has therefore increased in many of the IPCC expert scenarios.
development of nuclear facilities
In light of expectations of an increasing dependence on electricity in transportation, industry, construction and others, several countries have announced seeking to develop their nuclear facilities, led by China, which currently owns the largest number of reactors, as well as Poland, the Czech Republic and India, which intend to reduce their dependence on coal.
France, Britain and even the Netherlands have announced their ambitions in this regard, and in the United States, President Joe Biden's investment plan encourages this sector.
While the nuclear used in 32 countries provides 10 percent of global electricity generation, in September 2021, for the first time since the Fukushima disaster, the International Atomic Energy Agency raised its expectations to double production capacity by 2050 in the best case.
split public opinion
However, the experts of the international body admit that "future nuclear deployment may face the constraints of social preferences", as this issue divides public opinion due to the risks of catastrophic accidents and the problem of nuclear waste that has not yet been resolved.
Some countries such as New Zealand still oppose the use of nuclear energy, and this difference in position was demonstrated in Brussels during the debate on including nuclear in the list of "green" activities.
Another problem is the issue of the ability to build new reactors whose cost and lead times are under control.
Nicholas Bergmans said, “The construction deadlines are long, we are talking here about medium-term solutions that will not solve the problem of pressure on markets” and that they will be achieved after 2035, that is, too late to solve the climate problem that may benefit instantaneously from “industrial dynamism.” for renewable energy.
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