Nuclear power gaining strength again
Posted by Melody in EngineeringAfter the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, nuclear power seemed to be out of fashion. Even in France, where 80% of electricity comes from nuclear power stations, planning and building of new plants came to an end in the 1990s.
Now, in the light of climate change, oil and gas shortage, nuclear options are back on scene:
French president Chirac announced a new nuclear initiative in his New Year's speech, to get more independend from fossil fuels, as Reuters reports: "The (railway firms) RATP and the SNCF should no longer consume a drop of petrol in 20 years time." Electricite de France (EdF) plans to build a third generation reactor, the 1,600 MW European pressurized water reactor (EPR) by 2012.
Finland has started construction of a (heavily subsidised) EPR prototype, to be delivered by Siemens and Framatom.
More plant are to be ordered by several East European countries.
Switzerland and Sweden stopped their plans to close down all their nuclear plants by the end of the next decade, as will probably do Belgium.
And finally, in Germany, Christian Democrats reopen the debate on the nuclear phase-out contract that was closed by the former government with the plant operators. Social democrats are still fiercely fighting back the discussion, but if gas prices keep rising, they may loose ground (see also Reuters UK on the issue).
In the Asian-Pacific talks on climate change, nuclear power is on the agenda, too (Sydney Morning Herald and Reuters), but the main joker seems to be ideas of clean-coal technologies, there (Ireland online). For obvious economical reasons: Australia and the US have huge coal reserves that still wait to be burnt.
(Read also this article on Christian Science Monitor.)
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On nuclear: it was more a matter of safety than fashion. But now, also in The Netherlands it is more on the table. The life of nucl. power production Borssele has been extended to 2033, though in return for that agreement 500 mil. € will be invested in renewables, CO2 storage and savings. And ex Dutch premier, ex WWF Chairman Lubbers is promoting nucl. now.
However, don't call CO2 capture and storage a 'joker': it is one of the real, large scale options to tackle climate change. In NGO community it is preferred over nukes. And, when linked with the CO2 market, companies are prepared to invest. And, no mistake, the world will remain depending on fossil as IEA said, so, better get an important fossil based CO2 reduction option too.
Definitely right for CO2 capture and storage. The "joker" was not meant in the meaning of a joke, but as the trump card!
However - careful here! In history, we have already seen valueable resources diverted from the best sustainable option (vulgar: renewables) to an option preferred for political reasons (i.e: nuclear power), which made us loose 40 years of technical development. I am not saying I don't believe in CO2 capture. But be sure to use it as the scientifically and economically best solution wherever adequate, and don't let yourself be guided by obvious stakeholder arguments.
Here's an awesome clip by Greenpeace on the subject: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/fridaythe13th/
It was called "distateful" by some UK officials.