Positioning Nuclear Power in the Low-Carbon Electricity Transition

Abstract

Addressing climate change requires de-carbonizing future energy supplies in an increasingly energy-dependent world. The IEA and the IPCC (2014) mention the following as low-carbon energy supply options: 'renewable energy, nuclear power and fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage'. Positioning nuclear power in the decarbonization transition is a problematic issue and is overridden by ill-conceived axioms. Before probing these axioms, we provide an overview of five major, postwar energy-related legacies and some insight into who is engaged in nuclear activities. We check whether low-carbon nuclear power passes the full sustainability test and whether it is compatible with the unfettered deployment of variable renewable power sourced from the sun and from wind and water currents, which delivers two negative answers. We show that the best approach of the sustainable energy transition was Germany's 2011 decision to phase out nuclear power for a fast development and full deployment of renewable power. This is the best approach for the sustainable energy transition. We offer five practical suggestions to strengthen and accelerate carbon-and nuclear-free transitions. They are related to institutional issues like the role of cost-benefit analysis and the mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to the costs of nuclear risks and catastrophes, and to the historical record of nuclear technology and business.

Evaluation of Economic, Social and Environmental Effects of Low-Emission Energy Technologies Development in Poland: A Multi-Criteria Analysis with Application of a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP)

“…Authors conclude that Chinese government should implement new policies aimed at promoting integrate development of wind power and solar PV. The work [30] considers low-carbon energy transition options. Referring to recent research authors conclude that nuclear power plants fail on all sustainability criteria, except for being low-carbon.…”

“…Referring to recent research authors conclude that nuclear power plants fail on all sustainability criteria, except for being low-carbon. Priority should be given to the development of RES [30].…”

“…Impacts have been identified also on the basis of scientific literature in the field of sustainable development [26][27][28][29][30] and particularly research papers presenting specific primary research, focusing on the problem of choosing energy technologies for the achievement of multi-goal policy objective in economic, social and environmental dimensions [31][32][33][34][35][36].…”

The Collision of Atomic and Flow Renewable Power in Decarbonization of Electricity Supply

“…Add-on with fuel or with stock renewable power Fig. 3 Atomic versus flow renewable supply as separately serving electric loads Source: Verbruggen (2008) power supplies, the prevailing discourse repeats the mantra of a simple juxtaposition of both kinds of supplies (IPCC, 2014;UNFCCC, 2015;Verbruggen and Yurchenko, 2017). This discourse can be continued when the contenders are embedded in separate power systems with ancillary supplies from fossil fuel based, bio-energy or hydropower dam electricity.…”

French Energy Sector in Search for Optimal Model

“…Между тем вопрос выбора Францией модели низкоуглеродной электроэнергетики находится в центре полемики европейских учёных. Как правило, их исследования посвящены обоснованию предпочтительности той или иной модели развития: за отказ от АЭС в пользу ВИЭ (Verbruggen, Yurchenko 2017;Lorenz et oth. 2016) или наоборот (Malischek, Trüby 2016;Davis 2012, Jasserand, de Lavergne 2016.…”