20 Jun (NucNet): European Union energy policy makers should recognise and reward the long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear reactor units because of their role in meeting the EU’s climate goals, Brussels-based nuclear industry group Foratom said.
LTO has benefits including low investment costs, a relatively short time for upgrade work to be carried out and the continuous generation of reliable, low-carbon and affordable electricity, Yves Desbazeille, Foratom’s director-general, told an event in Brussels yesterday.
“If the EU wants to meet its climate goals, nuclear LTO will play an indispensable role in the EU’s future energy mix”, Mr Desbazeille said.
“Unfortunately, the nuclear option is disregarded, although it’s fully available now and its impact on emission reduction is potentially massive”, he said.
Mr Desbazeille said EU institutions should recognise and reward nuclear with incentives for the benefits it brings to the energy system.
The potential early closure of 50 reactor units in the EU would significantly slow down the decarbonisation of Europe, maintaining CO2 emissions at the current level and losing the equivalent of around seven years of renewable energy expansion, Mr Desbazeille said.
“Take a look at Germany, which is set to miss its 2020 emission targets by a wide margin. If the country had decided in 2011 to phase out 20 GW of coal plant capacity instead of nuclear, it would have reached its emission targets and now it could be rightly recognised as the European climate champion”, he said.
According to Foratom, there are 126 nuclear reactor units in commercial operation in 14 EU member states, providing more than a quarter of the bloc’s electricity production.
Foratom said the European Commission’s Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC) forecasts that nuclear power is expected to play a significant role in the EU’s energy mix up to 2050. Foratom said this will need investment in nuclear LTO of around €40-50bn by 2050.
Foratom quoted the EC as saying that there are up to 50 nuclear reactor units at risk of early closure over the next 10 years, assuming their operators do not pursue LTO permits.
