Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), Campaigners have published what they call a “myth buster” to “counter the recent hype” around nuclear energy.
The list, published on 19 March, is said to detail why nuclear energy “is a dangerous distraction” from the transition to a fully renewables-based energy system.
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe says this “threatens to delay the urgently needed phase out” of fossil fuels.
Commenting, Thomas Lewis, CAN Europe’s nuclear energy expert, said, “We see the renaissance of nuclear energy with growing concern.
“The cheapest, fastest, and only feasible replacement for fossil fuels is renewables. While the accelerated deployment of wind and solar has already delivered significant emissions reductions and lower energy bills, nuclear power is a dangerous distraction. We urge policymakers to keep all efforts on delivering a fully renewables-based energy system,“ said Lewis.
The group says the key messages from the “myth buster” are:
- New nuclear energy in Europe is “too slow, and too expensive to meaningfully contribute” to the decarbonization of the energy system by 2040. This pathway is a “distraction” that only delays fossil fuel phase-out and renewables uptake.
- Nuclear energy is undermining renewables and is not an alternative or partner for renewables in the energy transition.
- Small Modular Reactors are an “unproven technology” and, like conventional nuclear reactor designs, are unable to contribute “meaningfully” to decarbonization.
The group says “If developed, these units would increase the price for electricity, the levels of radioactive waste and risk the proliferation of nuclear materials.”
It adds that a 100% renewable energy system by 2040, and “therefore a managed phase-out and decommissioning of Europe’s existing nuclear fleet is required by 2040 at the latest to ensure a safe and sustainable future.”
The document comes in the context of the Nuclear Energy Summit, as the industry looks to divert funds from genuine solutions towards nuclear energy.
Hosted by the Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the summit brings together political and nuclear industry leaders with the aim to attract public finance to support the goal of tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, announced by a small grop of countries at COP28 in Dubai.
