nuclear-news

Nuclear power – an antiquated and uneconomic technology

The economic argument for renewable energy is also compelling. Nuclear power is an antiquated technology that requires billions of euros in subsidies; so far, German taxpayers have contributed €196 billion for this purpose.

A German government study has estimated that, between 2010 and 2050, Germany could save more than €700 billion by relying on non-nuclear renewable energy instead of nuclear power or imported fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil.

No nuclear please, we’re German, ABC JGEN TRITTIN, 8 March 12, “…….. while Germany is now heading in the right direction, the security risks of nuclear power plants in neighbouring countries, such as France and the Czech Republic, remain. There must be a general shift in both European and global energy policies.

The current European stress tests of nuclear-power plants are a first step; but, as long as they are voluntary and under the operators’ control, they will be nothing more than political window
dressing. For example, there are no plans to test any of the 143
nuclear power plants currently operating in the European Union for
core safety risks, such as a terrorist attack or a plane crash.

The economic argument for renewable energy is also compelling. Nuclear
power is an antiquated technology that requires billions of euros in
subsidies; so far, German taxpayers have contributed €196 billion for
this purpose. A German government study has estimated that, between
2010 and 2050, Germany could save more than €700 billion by relying on
non-nuclear renewable energy instead of nuclear power or imported
fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil.

The expansion of renewable energy production also holds great
potential for boosting economic growth. Over the past decade, 370,000
new jobs have been created in the sector, and exports of
renewable-energy technology are rising rapidly, totaling roughly €30
billion from 2006 to 2008.

At the same time, it would be short-sighted to assume that fossil
fuels, especially coal, are a profitable and sustainable energy
source. First, increased reliance on fossil fuels runs contrary to the
1997 Kyoto Protocol’s targets for reducing carbon emissions, as well
as to the EU’s own climate-change objectives. Moreover, fossil-fuel
costs fluctuate wildly with oil prices, and the centralised nature of
nuclear and coal-fired power stations creates distribution problems.

The last decade has shown that increases in renewable-energy
production actually reduce its costs. Wind energy is now competitive
with conventional power plants, while rising gas and coal prices and
the steady decline in renewable-energy costs imply that, within a few
years, fossil fuels will be even less attractive. Moreover, revenues
from ‘home-grown’ energy tend to remain where they are generated,
while the import bill for fossil fuels would be eliminated.

All of this can be done without having to bear the immense risk (and
costs) of a nuclear catastrophe. Indeed, the idea of a ‘nuclear
renaissance’ is a myth. Nuclear accidents, public opposition, and high
capital costs have already provoked a drastic drop in nuclear-energy
investment; in the United States, no nuclear-power plant has been
commissioned since the late 1970s.

In Europe, the number of nuclear plants is declining, as old plants
are decommissioned and public opinion in even traditionally
pro-nuclear countries like France begins to shift: almost two-thirds
of the French now believe that nuclear power stands in the way of an
increase in renewable energy. In Italy, more than 90 per cent of
voters rejected Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s plan for a return
to nuclear-power generation, and the Japanese government recently
announced that it plans to phase out nuclear energy in stages.
More needs to be done to accelerate the post-nuclear transition. More
money from the EU budget now goes to nuclear research than to
non-nuclear research and development, and more infrastructure funding
goes to carbon capture and storage (CCS) and conventional energy than
to renewable energies. The forthcoming negotiations on the EU’s
2014-2020 European budget are an opportunity to change direction and
cut the funding for unpromising mega-projects like the International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) effort in southern France.

Shifting to renewable-energy sources will require enormous effort and
major infrastructure investment. High-voltage transmission lines
across the EU and storage facilities to overcome the problem of
meeting basic energy demands will be crucial, as will decentralised
distribution grids and higher investment in energy conservation.

Germany has taken the first step, but the transition to a fully
renewable-energy-based economy must be a common European effort.
http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2012/03/08/3448020.htm

March 8, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general