Nuclear Politics

MIT Study Proves ‘Deep Decarbonisation’ Will Be Extremely Difficult Without Nuclear, Says Foratom

By David Dalton
6 September 2018

6 Sep (NucNet): A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative proves that “deep decarbonisation” will be extremely difficult without the use of nuclear energy, the director-general of Foratom, the trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, said today.

Yves Desbazeille said before the EU decides which path should be chosen to decarbonise its economy in line with the Paris Agreement, decision makers should consider “all available options and their potential impacts and then choose the most rational one”.

Mr Desbazeille said: “Nuclear energy contributes to all key objectives of EU energy policy: decarbonisation of the electricity sector, security of supply and competitive power prices.”

The study, ‘The Future of Nuclear Energy in a Carbon-Constrained World’, analyses the reasons for the current global stall in nuclear energy – which currently accounts for only 5% of global primary energy production – and outlines measures that could be taken to arrest and reverse that trend.

It says that for nuclear energy to take its place as a major low-carbon energy source issues of cost and policy need to be addressed.

John Parsons, study co-chair and senior lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, said “the role of government will be critical if we are to take advantage of the economic opportunity and low-carbon potential that nuclear has to offer”.

He said government officials must create new decarbonisation policies that put all low-carbon energy technologies on an equal footing, while also exploring options that spur private investment in nuclear advancement.

Findings and recommendations from the study were presented during an event held in Brussels today by Foratom.

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