Nuclear Power

The French government and EDF have struck a deal on nuclear electricity prices to shield consumers from increases and enable the state-owned utility to fund new reactor construction, drawing criticism from energy-intensive businesses.

In a recent study, researchers from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE), and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) questioned the planned development of new nuclear capacities in the energy strategies of the United States and certain European countries.

While the French Constitutional Council is preparing to issue new provisions to support the deployment of new nuclear reactors this summer, nearly 800 scientists gathered around a platform to call for the end of the new nuclear program.

Germany’s shutdown of nuclear power plants in April did not result in a ramp-up of lignite-fired power plants, despite concerns. Instead, there has been a significant increase in the share of renewables in the electricity mix, and the proportion of coal-generated electricity has fallen by more than 20%.

The latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report shows that nominal net nuclear generating capacity fell by 0.4 GW between 2020 and 2021, even though six new reactors were switched on throughout the world last year. This brought the share of nuclear power in the global electricity mix to below 10% for the first time in four decades.

A mixture of home-grown fossil fuels, possibly including fracked shale gas; clean power; nuclear; hydrogen; and smarter grids, apparently in that order, will make up the UK’s proposed energy security response in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Brussels is ignoring the requests of some EU member states, including Germany, as well as the assessments of experts. The German government has spoken out clearly against including nuclear power and gas-fired power plants in the EU taxonomy.

The latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report shows that the world’s operational nuclear capacity grew by just 400 MW in 2020, with generation falling by 4%. By contrast, renewables grew by 256 GW and clean energy production rose by 13%. “Nuclear power is irrelevant in today’s electricity capacity market,” the report’s main author, Mycle Schneider, told pv magazine.

Research suggests that we can power 80% of the United States with wind, solar, and 12 hours of energy storage, but the replacement of nuclear power plants hasn’t been financially viable. Is that about to change?

The state-owned company will manufacture module type lithium-ion traction batteries for electric vehicles, as well as energy storage systems for emergency power supplies, renewable energy resources, and the smoothing of load demand.