Energy crisis due to war in Ukraine revives interest in nuclear power plants

Between the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and climate goals problem nuclear again attracts interest in many countries, from Japan to Germany, although the ambitions are different.

Eleven years after the Fukushima disaster brought this form of energy to a halt, the winds seem to be changing, and pro-nuclear industrialists and politicians make no secret of their optimism.

Particularly symbolic is Japan’s intention to eventually resume the construction of new factories. nuclear.

On Wednesday, the government announced a period of reflection on future “next-generation reactors equipped with new safety mechanisms” to help achieve carbon neutrality, as well as to combat rising electricity and gas prices that are also affecting the archipelago after the war in Ukraine.

For now, Tokyo is considering restarting some facilities and extending their lifespan, a dramatic turnaround for a country that received less than 4% of its energy last year. nuclearagainst 30% produced by 54 reactors before 2011.

Public opinion, worried about hypothetical shortages and dependence on imported gas, oil and coal, now looks more favorably on this project.

multiple crises

Other countries seeking to get rid of this energy nuclear they backed off, like Belgium, which wants to extend two ten-year reactors.

In Germany, which was due to close its last three factories by the end of 2022, the taboo was broken when Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck opined in February that a delay might be “appropriate” in the context of the war in Ukraine.

To make a decision, Berlin is awaiting new studies of its electrical system and possible winter needs.

“Extend nuclear is not a solution to the energy crisis,” argues Gerald Neubauer, expert Energy Greenpeace Germany, which claims its effectiveness in replacing Russian gas is limited. “Gas is mostly used for heating, not electricity.”

But according to Nicholas Bergmans, an expert at the Institute for Sustainability and International Affairs (IDDRI), “extending the lifespan of plants can help.”

“Europe is in a very difficult energy situation, with multiple crises that overlap each other: a problem with Russian gas supplies, a drought that reduced the capacity of dams, poor accessibility nuclear French… so everything helps,” he says.

The sector has already received a boost under the auspices of combating climate change, given that energy nuclear does not emit CO2 directly.

In fact, in several scenarios of the IPCC, the UN panel of climate experts, the atom is given a more prominent place.

Not instant solutions

Faced with an announced boom in electrification in transport, industry or construction, several countries have expressed a desire to develop infrastructure. nuclear: China, which already has the most reactors, or Poland, the Czech Republic or India, who want to reduce their dependence on coal.

France, Britain and the Netherlands have shown similar ambitions, even the United States is pushing the sector with President Joe Biden’s investment plan.

Currently nuclear It is present in 32 countries and supplies 10% of the world’s electricity. But the International Atomic Energy Agency’s forecasts for September 2021, first published since Fukushima, predict that installed capacity will double before 2050 under the best-case scenario.

However, IPCC scientists acknowledge that “the future deployment of (topic) nuclear may be limited by social preferences”: the question shares opinions about the risk of disasters or the still unresolved problem of waste.

Countries such as New Zealand oppose this, and this line was also expressed in Brussels during the debate on whether energy should be included. nuclear in the list of “green” activities.

There is also the question of the possibility of building new reactors. nuclear with controlled costs and deadlines.

“Delays in construction are long-term,” notes Nicolas Bergmans. “We are talking here about medium-term solutions that will not solve the problem of market tension,” he says.

He also believes they will arrive too late, after 2035, to solve the climate problem, which could instead immediately take advantage of the “industrial dynamics” of renewables.

(According to AFP)

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