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Nuclear energy policy

Nuclear energy policy is a national and international policy concerning some or all aspects of nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle, such as uranium mining, ore concentration, conversion, enrichment for nuclear fuel, generating electricity by nuclear power, storing and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, and disposal of radioactive waste. Nuclear energy policies often include the regulation of energy use and standards relating to the nuclear fuel cycle. Other measures include efficiency standards, safety regulations, emission standards, fiscal policies, and legislation on energy trading, transport of nuclear waste and contaminated materials, and their storage. Governments might subsidize nuclear energy and arrange international treaties and trade agreements about the import and export of nuclear technology, electricity, nuclear waste, and uranium.

Eight German nuclear power reactors (Biblis A and B, Brunsbuettel, Isar 1, Kruemmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Philippsburg 1 and Unterweser) were permanently shutdown on 6 August 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan.[1]

Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival, but nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999.[2] [3] Since then it had increased back to 2,653 TWh in 2021, a level last seen in 2006. The share of nuclear power in electricity production however is at a historic low and now below 10% down from a maximum of 17.5% in 1996.[4] Following the March 2011 Fukushima I nuclear accidents, China, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the Philippines are reviewing their nuclear power programs. Indonesia and Vietnam still plan to build nuclear power plants.[5][6][7][8] Thirty-one countries operate nuclear power stations, and there are a considerable number of new reactors being built in China, South Korea, India, and Russia.[9] As of June 2011, countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Israel, Malaysia, and Norway have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear power.[10][11]

Since nuclear energy and nuclear weapons technologies are closely related, military aspirations can act as a factor in energy policy decisions. The fear of nuclear proliferation influences some international nuclear energy policies.

The global picture Edit

 
The number of nuclear power plant constructions started each year, from 1954 to 2013. Note the increase in new constructions from 2007 to 2010, before a decline following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

After 1986's Chernobyl disaster, public fear of nuclear power led to a virtual halt in reactor construction, and several countries decided to phase out nuclear power altogether.[12] However, increasing energy demand was believed to require new sources of electric power, and rising fossil fuel prices coupled with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions (see Climate change mitigation) have sparked heightened interest in nuclear power and predictions of a nuclear renaissance.

In 2004, the largest producer of nuclear energy was the United States with 28% of worldwide capacity, followed by France (18%) and Japan (12%).[13] In 2007, 31 countries operated nuclear power plants.[14] In September 2008 the IAEA projected nuclear power to remain at a 12.4% to 14.4% share of the world's electricity production through 2030.[15]

In 2013, almost two years after Fukushima, according to the IAEA there are 390 operating nuclear generating units throughout the world, more than 10% less than before Fukushima, and exactly the same as in Chernobyl-year 1986.[16] Asia is expected to be the primary growth market for nuclear energy in the foreseeable future, despite continued uncertainty in the energy outlooks for Japan, South Korea, and others in the region. As of 2014, 63% of all reactors under construction globally are in Asia.[17]

Policy issues Edit

Nuclear concerns Edit

Nuclear accidents and radioactive waste disposal are major concerns.[18] Other concerns include nuclear proliferation, the high cost of nuclear power plants, and nuclear terrorism.[18]

Energy security Edit

For some countries, nuclear power affords energy independence. In the words of the French, "We have no coal, we have no oil, we have no gas, we have no choice."[19] Japan—similarly lacking in indigenous natural resources for power supply—relied on nuclear power for 1/3 of its energy mix prior to the Fukushima nuclear disaster; since March 2011, Japan has sought to offset the loss of nuclear power with increased reliance on imported liquefied natural gas, which has led to the country's first trade deficits in decades.[20] Therefore, the discussion of a future for nuclear energy is intertwined with a discussion of energy security and the use of energy mix, including renewable energy development.[citation needed]

Nuclear power has been relatively unaffected by embargoes, and uranium is mined in "reliable" countries, including Australia and Canada.[19][21]

Many commentators have criticized Germany's Energiewende policy to shut down its world-class nuclear fleet after the Fukushima disaster and rely instead on renewable energy sources, which in the interim has made them heavily dependent on Russian gas.[22] Responding to Russia's attempt to exploit this dependency by shutting off natural gas supplies, Germany is ramping up coal production,[23] while maintaining two nuclear plants in reserve.[24]

Nuclear energy history and trends Edit

 
Olkiluoto 3 under construction in 2009. It is the first EPR design, but problems with workmanship and supervision have created costly delays which led to an inquiry by the Finnish nuclear regulator STUK.[25] In December 2012, Areva estimated that the full cost of building the reactor will be about €8.5 billion, or almost three times the original delivery price of €3 billion.[26][27][28]

Proponents have long made hopeful projections of the expected growth of nuclear power, but major accidents, and a well funded anti-nuclear lobby have kept costs high and growth much lower. In 1973 and 1974, the International Atomic Energy Agency predicted a worldwide installed nuclear capacity of 3,600 to 5,000 gigawatts by 2000. The IAEA's 1980 projection was for 740 to 1,075 gigawatts of installed capacity by the year 2000. Even after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the Nuclear Energy Agency forecasted an installed nuclear capacity of 497 to 646 gigawatts for the year 2000. The actual capacity in 2000 was 356 gigawatts. Moreover, construction costs have often been much higher, and times much longer than projected, failing to meet optimistic projections of “unlimited cheap, clean, and safe electricity.”[29]

Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival, driven by rising fossil fuel prices and new concerns about meeting greenhouse gas emission limits.[3] However, nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999,[2] and new reactors under construction in Finland and France, which were meant to lead a nuclear renaissance,[30] have been delayed and are running over-budget.[30][31][32] China has 32 new reactors under construction,[33] and there are also a considerable number of new reactors being built in South Korea, India, and Russia. At the same time, at least 100 older and smaller reactors will "most probably be closed over the next 10-15 years".[9] So the expanding nuclear programs in Asia are balanced by retirements of aging plants and nuclear reactor phase-outs.[34]

In March 2011 the nuclear emergencies at Japan's Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and shutdowns at other nuclear facilities raised questions among some commentators over the future of the renaissance.[35][36][37][38][39] Platts has reported that "the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear plants has prompted leading energy-consuming countries to review the safety of their existing reactors and cast doubt on the speed and scale of planned expansions around the world".[40] China, Germany, Switzerland, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, United Kingdom, Italy[41] and the Philippines have reviewed their nuclear power programs. Indonesia and Vietnam still plan to build nuclear power plants.[5][6][7][8] Countries such as Australia, Austria, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Portugal, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Norway remain opposed to nuclear power. Following the Fukushima I nuclear accidents, the International Energy Agency halved its estimate of additional nuclear generating capacity built by 2035.[42]

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Germany permanently shut down eight of its reactors and pledged to close the rest by 2022.[43] In 2011 Siemens exited the nuclear power sector following the changes to German energy policy, and supported the German government's planned energy transition to renewable energy technologies.[44] The Italians voted overwhelmingly to keep their country non-nuclear.[45] Switzerland and Spain have banned the construction of new reactors.[46] Japan's prime minister called for a dramatic reduction in Japan's reliance on nuclear power.[47] Taiwan's president did the same. Mexico has sidelined construction of 10 reactors in favor of developing natural-gas-fired plants.[48] Belgium decided to phase out its nuclear plants.[46]

China—nuclear power's largest prospective market—suspended approvals of new reactor construction while conducting a lengthy nuclear-safety review.[39][49] In 2012 a new safety plan for nuclear power was approved by State Council, and full incorporation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safety standards became explicit. In the 13th Five-Year Plan from 2016, six to eight nuclear reactors were to be approved each year. A draft of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) released in March 2021 showed government plans to reach 70 GWe gross of nuclear capacity by the end of 2025.[50]

Neighboring India, another potential nuclear boom market, has encountered effective local opposition, growing national wariness about foreign nuclear reactors, and a nuclear liability controversy that threatens to prevent new reactor imports. There have been mass protests against the French-backed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra and the 2000 MW Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. The state government of West Bengal state has also refused permission to a proposed 6000 MW facility near the town of Haripur that intended to host six Russian reactors.[51] In March 2018, the government stated that nuclear capacity would fall well short of its 63 GWe target and that the total nuclear capacity is likely to be about 22.5 GWe by the year 2031.[52]

Following IPCC announcements climate concerns again started to dominate world opinion. With rising oil and gas prices in 2022, many countries are reconsidering nuclear power.

In October 2021 the Japanese cabinet approved the new Plan for Electricity Generation to 2030 prepared by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE) and an advisory committee, following public consultation. The nuclear target for 2030 of 20-22% is unchanged from that in the 2015 plan, but renewables increase greatly to 36-38%, including geothermal and hydro. Hydrogen and ammonia are included at 1%. The plan would require the restart of another ten reactors. Prime minister Fumio Kishida in July 2022 announced that the country should consider building advanced reactors and extending operating licences beyond 60 years.[53]

In March 2022 Belgium delayed its plans to phase out nuclear energy by a decade. The prime minister said that two reactors (Doel 4 and Tihange 3) would continue operating to 2035 to “strengthen our county’s independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment.” In June Engie said it was seeking financial aid from the government for the continued operation of the two reactors. [54]

Climate Change and the Energy Transition Edit

Eliminating fossil fuels is essential in solving the climate change crisis. Nuclear power has one of the lowest life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions.[55] [56] Historically, nuclear power has prevented 64 gigatonnes of CO2-equivalent greenhouse-gas emissions between 1971 and 2009.[57] With a significant amount of renewable energy installed in the 21st century, it has been speculated that tensions between nuclear and renewable national energy development strategies might reduce their effectiveness in terms of climate change mitigation.[58] However, newer studies have refuted this idea. Both nuclear and renewable energy have shown equally effective in the prevention of greenhouse-gas emissions.[59][60] An effective climate-change mitigation strategy may include both nuclear and renewable energy sources.[61] In 2018 the IPCC provided advice to policymakers giving four illustrative model pathways to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. In each of these pathways nuclear energy generation increased between 98% and 501% over 2010 levels by 2050.[62]

In 2021 the European Union Joint Research Centre issued the results of its study on whether nuclear power generation meets the criteria of its Green Taxonomy. The analyses did not reveal any science-based evidence that nuclear energy does more harm to human health or to the environment than other electricity production technologies already included in the EU Green Taxonomy as activities supporting climate change mitigation.[63] As a result of this assessment, the EU Parliament voted to include nuclear energy in its Green Taxonomy.[64]

Moreover, nuclear energy has such a low carbon footprint that it could power carbon dioxide capture and transformation,[65] resulting in a carbon-negative process. Specifically, various organizations are working across the globe to create designs for small modular reactors, a type of nuclear fission reactor that is smaller than conventional reactors. Some of these companies include ARC Nuclear[66] in Canada, CNEA in Denmark, Areva TA in France, Toshiba and JAERI in Japan, OKB Gidropress in Russia, and OPEN100[67] and X-energy[68] in the United States.

Policies by territory Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

  1. ^ IAEA (2011). "Power Reactor Information System".
  2. ^ a b "Nuclear power down in 2012".
  3. ^ a b "The Nuclear Renaissance (by the World Nuclear Association)".
  4. ^ url=https://www.worldnuclearreport.org/IMG/pdf/wnisr2022-v3-lr.pdf
  5. ^ a b Jo Chandler (March 19, 2011). "Is this the end of the nuclear revival?". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ^ a b Aubrey Belford (March 17, 2011). "Indonesia to Continue Plans for Nuclear Power". New York Times.
  7. ^ a b Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu: Japan situation has "caused me to reconsider" nuclear power Piers Morgan on CNN, published 2011-03-17, accessed 2011-03-17
  8. ^ a b xinhuanet.com, published 2011-03-18, accessed 2011-03-17
  9. ^ a b Michael Dittmar. Taking stock of nuclear renaissance that never was Sydney Morning Herald, August 18, 2010.
  10. ^ "Nuclear power: When the steam clears". The Economist. March 24, 2011.
  11. ^ Duroyan Fertl (June 5, 2011). "Germany: Nuclear power to be phased out by 2022". Green Left.
  12. ^ Research and Markets: International Perspectives on Energy Policy and the Role of Nuclear Power Reuters, May 6, 2009.
  13. ^ (PDF). World Energy Council. 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-25. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. ^ Mycle Schneider, Steve Thomas, Antony Froggatt, Doug Koplow (August 2009). The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2008-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety, p. 6.
  15. ^ "Energy, Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2030" (PDF). International Atomic Energy Agency. September 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ Historic Move: IAEA Shifts 47 Japanese Reactors Into “Long-Term Shutdown” Category, World Nuclear Industry Status Report, 16-1-2013
  17. ^ Multilateral Cooperation in Asia's Nuclear Sector, 2014 Pacific Energy Summit Working Paper, 8-6-14
  18. ^ a b Brian Martin. Opposing nuclear power: past and present, Social Alternatives, Vol. 26, No. 2, Second Quarter 2007, pp. 43-47.
  19. ^ a b "Nuclear renaissance faces realities". Platts. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  20. ^ http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=352 How Can Japan Compete in a Changing Global Market?, Clara Gillispie, The National Bureau of Asian Research, July 201
  21. ^ L. Meeus; K. Purchala; R. Belmans. (PDF). Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Departement of Electrical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2007-07-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ^ "Angela Merkel's nuclear folly fuelled Putin's ambitions in Ukraine". Globe and Mail. 2022.
  23. ^ "Germany's Uniper to restart coal-fired power plant as Gazprom halts supply to Europe". Reuters. 2022.
  24. ^ "Germany to keep two nuclear plants available as a backup and burn coal as it faces an energy crisis brought on by war and climate change". CNBC. 2022.
  25. ^ "Olkiluoto pipe welding 'deficient', says regulator". World Nuclear News. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2010.
  26. ^ Kinnunen, Terhi (2010-07-01). "Finnish parliament agrees plans for two reactors". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  27. ^ "Olkiluoto 3 delayed beyond 2014". World Nuclear News. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
  28. ^ "Finland's Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant delayed again". BBC. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
  29. ^ Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt (September–October 2012). "2011-2012 world nuclear industry status report". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 68 (5): 8–22. Bibcode:2012BuAtS..68e...8S. doi:10.1177/0096340212459126. S2CID 145136334.
  30. ^ a b James Kanter. Is the Nuclear Renaissance Fizzling? Green, 29 May 2009.
  31. ^ James Kanter. In Finland, Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble New York Times, May 28, 2009.
  32. ^ Rob Broomby. Nuclear dawn delayed in Finland BBC News, 8 July 2009.
  33. ^ "Nuclear Power in China".
  34. ^ Mark Diesendorf (2013). "Book review: Contesting the future of nuclear power" (PDF). Energy Policy.
  35. ^ Nuclear Renaissance Threatened as Japan’s Reactor Struggles Bloomberg, published March 2011, accessed 2011-03-14
  36. ^ Analysis: Nuclear renaissance could fizzle after Japan quake Reuters, published 2011-03-14, accessed 2011-03-14
  37. ^ Japan nuclear woes cast shadow over U.S. energy policy Reuters, published 2011-03-13, accessed 2011-03-14
  38. ^ Nuclear winter? Quake casts new shadow on reactors MarketWatch, published 2011-03-14, accessed 2011-03-14
  39. ^ a b Will China's nuclear nerves fuel a boom in green energy? Channel 4, published 2011-03-17, accessed 2011-03-17
  40. ^ "NEWS ANALYSIS: Japan crisis puts global nuclear expansion in doubt". Platts. 21 March 2011.
  41. ^ "Italy announces nuclear moratorium". World Nuclear News. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  42. ^ "Gauging the pressure". The Economist. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  43. ^ Annika Breidthardt (May 30, 2011). "German government wants nuclear exit by 2022 at latest". Reuters.
  44. ^ "Siemens to quit nuclear industry". BBC News. September 18, 2011.
  45. ^ . June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on March 25, 2012.
  46. ^ a b Henry Sokolski (November 28, 2011). . Newsweek. Archived from the original on December 18, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  47. ^ Tsuyoshi Inajima & Yuji Okada (October 28, 2011). "Nuclear Promotion Dropped in Japan Energy Policy After Fukushima". Bloomberg.
  48. ^ Carlos Manuel Rodriguez (November 4, 2011). "Mexico Scraps Plans to Build 10 Nuclear Power Plants in Favor of Using Gas". Bloomberg Businessweek.
  49. ^ the CNN Wire Staff. "China freezes nuclear plant approvals - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  50. ^ World Nuclear Association. "Nuclear Power in China".
  51. ^ Siddharth Srivastava (27 October 2011). . Asia Sentinel. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  52. ^ "Issues Concerning Installation of new NPPs, Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy, Lok Sabha unstarred question no. 4226 to be answered on 21.03.2018" (PDF).
  53. ^ World Nuclear Association. "Nuclear Power in Japan".
  54. ^ World Nuclear Association. "Nuclear Power in Belgium".
  55. ^ "Integrated life-cycle assessment of electricity sources - Figure 37" (PDF). UNECE. 2022. p. 50.
  56. ^ "IPCC Working Group III – Mitigation of Climate Change, Annex III: Technology - specific cost and performance parameters - Table A.III.2 (Emissions of selected electricity supply technologies (gCO 2eq/kWh))" (PDF). IPCC. 2014. p. 1335. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  57. ^ Kharecha, Pushker A.; Hansen, James E. (2013). "Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power". Environmental Science & Technology. 47 (9): 4889–95. Bibcode:2013EnST...47.4889K. doi:10.1021/es3051197. PMID 23495839.
  58. ^ Sovacool, Benjamin K.; Schmid, Patrick; Stirling, Andy; Walter, Goetz; MacKerron, Gordon (5 October 2020). "Differences in carbon emissions reduction between countries pursuing renewable electricity versus nuclear power". Nature Energy. 5 (11): 928–935. Bibcode:2020NatEn...5..928S. doi:10.1038/s41560-020-00696-3. S2CID 225107514.
  59. ^ Fell, Harrison; Gilbert, Alexander; Jenkins, Jesse; Mildenberger, Matto (2021-01-08). "Reply to 'Differences in Carbon Emissions Reduction between Countries Pursuing Renewable Electricity Versus Nuclear Power,' by Sovacool Et Al. (2020)". SSRN. Elsevier. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3762762. S2CID 234183759.
  60. ^ Wagner, Friedrich (2021-05-20). "CO2 emissions of nuclear power and renewable energies: a statistical analysis of European and global data". The European Physical Journal Plus. 136 (5): 562. Bibcode:2021EPJP..136..562W. doi:10.1140/epjp/s13360-021-01508-7.
  61. ^ IPCC (2013-03-31). "IPCC Fifth Assessment Report - WG3 Summary for Policymakers" (PDF).
  62. ^ "Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5°C Summary for Policymakers". 2018.
  63. ^ "Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the 'do no significant harm' criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 ('Taxonomy Regulation')" (PDF). 2021.   Text was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
  64. ^ "EU parliament backs labelling gas and nuclear investments as green". 2022.
  65. ^ Kugelmass, Bret. "Want to stop climate change? Embrace the nuclear option". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  66. ^ "Carbon Free Energy | ARC Clean Energy". www.arcenergy.co. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  67. ^ "OPEN100 | Nuclear Energy". Open100. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  68. ^ "X-energy | Advanced Nuclear Reactors (SMR) & TRISO Fuel". X-energy. Retrieved 2021-01-19.

Further reading Edit

External links Edit

  • NEI Public Policy Information
  • Robert J. Duffy. Nuclear Politics in America: A History and Theory of Government Regulation (Studies in Government and Public Policy). Paperback. 1997. ISBN 0-7006-0853-2.
  • Carlton Stoiber, Alec Baer, Norbert Pelzer, Wolfram Tonhauser, Handbook on Nuclear Law, IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), 2003.
  • Annotated bibliography for nuclear power from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues
  • Fairewinds Energy Education
  • Schneider, Mycle, Steve Thomas, Antony Froggatt, Doug Koplow (2016). The World Nuclear Industry Status Report: World Nuclear Industry Status as of 1 January 2016.

nuclear, energy, policy, main, article, nuclear, power, national, international, policy, concerning, some, aspects, nuclear, energy, nuclear, fuel, cycle, such, uranium, mining, concentration, conversion, enrichment, nuclear, fuel, generating, electricity, nuc. Main article Nuclear power Nuclear energy policy is a national and international policy concerning some or all aspects of nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle such as uranium mining ore concentration conversion enrichment for nuclear fuel generating electricity by nuclear power storing and reprocessing spent nuclear fuel and disposal of radioactive waste Nuclear energy policies often include the regulation of energy use and standards relating to the nuclear fuel cycle Other measures include efficiency standards safety regulations emission standards fiscal policies and legislation on energy trading transport of nuclear waste and contaminated materials and their storage Governments might subsidize nuclear energy and arrange international treaties and trade agreements about the import and export of nuclear technology electricity nuclear waste and uranium Eight German nuclear power reactors Biblis A and B Brunsbuettel Isar 1 Kruemmel Neckarwestheim 1 Philippsburg 1 and Unterweser were permanently shutdown on 6 August 2011 following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan 1 Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival but nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999 2 3 Since then it had increased back to 2 653 TWh in 2021 a level last seen in 2006 The share of nuclear power in electricity production however is at a historic low and now below 10 down from a maximum of 17 5 in 1996 4 Following the March 2011 Fukushima I nuclear accidents China Germany Switzerland Israel Malaysia Thailand United Kingdom and the Philippines are reviewing their nuclear power programs Indonesia and Vietnam still plan to build nuclear power plants 5 6 7 8 Thirty one countries operate nuclear power stations and there are a considerable number of new reactors being built in China South Korea India and Russia 9 As of June 2011 countries such as Australia Austria Denmark Greece Ireland Latvia Lichtenstein Luxembourg Malta Portugal Israel Malaysia and Norway have no nuclear power stations and remain opposed to nuclear power 10 11 Since nuclear energy and nuclear weapons technologies are closely related military aspirations can act as a factor in energy policy decisions The fear of nuclear proliferation influences some international nuclear energy policies Contents 1 The global picture 2 Policy issues 2 1 Nuclear concerns 2 2 Energy security 2 3 Nuclear energy history and trends 2 4 Climate Change and the Energy Transition 3 Policies by territory 4 See also 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External linksThe global picture Edit nbsp The number of nuclear power plant constructions started each year from 1954 to 2013 Note the increase in new constructions from 2007 to 2010 before a decline following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster See also Nuclear power by country After 1986 s Chernobyl disaster public fear of nuclear power led to a virtual halt in reactor construction and several countries decided to phase out nuclear power altogether 12 However increasing energy demand was believed to require new sources of electric power and rising fossil fuel prices coupled with concerns about greenhouse gas emissions see Climate change mitigation have sparked heightened interest in nuclear power and predictions of a nuclear renaissance In 2004 the largest producer of nuclear energy was the United States with 28 of worldwide capacity followed by France 18 and Japan 12 13 In 2007 31 countries operated nuclear power plants 14 In September 2008 the IAEA projected nuclear power to remain at a 12 4 to 14 4 share of the world s electricity production through 2030 15 In 2013 almost two years after Fukushima according to the IAEA there are 390 operating nuclear generating units throughout the world more than 10 less than before Fukushima and exactly the same as in Chernobyl year 1986 16 Asia is expected to be the primary growth market for nuclear energy in the foreseeable future despite continued uncertainty in the energy outlooks for Japan South Korea and others in the region As of 2014 63 of all reactors under construction globally are in Asia 17 Policy issues EditSee also Energy policy Nuclear concerns Edit Main article Nuclear power debate Nuclear accidents and radioactive waste disposal are major concerns 18 Other concerns include nuclear proliferation the high cost of nuclear power plants and nuclear terrorism 18 Energy security Edit For some countries nuclear power affords energy independence In the words of the French We have no coal we have no oil we have no gas we have no choice 19 Japan similarly lacking in indigenous natural resources for power supply relied on nuclear power for 1 3 of its energy mix prior to the Fukushima nuclear disaster since March 2011 Japan has sought to offset the loss of nuclear power with increased reliance on imported liquefied natural gas which has led to the country s first trade deficits in decades 20 Therefore the discussion of a future for nuclear energy is intertwined with a discussion of energy security and the use of energy mix including renewable energy development citation needed Nuclear power has been relatively unaffected by embargoes and uranium is mined in reliable countries including Australia and Canada 19 21 Many commentators have criticized Germany s Energiewende policy to shut down its world class nuclear fleet after the Fukushima disaster and rely instead on renewable energy sources which in the interim has made them heavily dependent on Russian gas 22 Responding to Russia s attempt to exploit this dependency by shutting off natural gas supplies Germany is ramping up coal production 23 while maintaining two nuclear plants in reserve 24 Nuclear energy history and trends Edit nbsp Olkiluoto 3 under construction in 2009 It is the first EPR design but problems with workmanship and supervision have created costly delays which led to an inquiry by the Finnish nuclear regulator STUK 25 In December 2012 Areva estimated that the full cost of building the reactor will be about 8 5 billion or almost three times the original delivery price of 3 billion 26 27 28 Proponents have long made hopeful projections of the expected growth of nuclear power but major accidents and a well funded anti nuclear lobby have kept costs high and growth much lower In 1973 and 1974 the International Atomic Energy Agency predicted a worldwide installed nuclear capacity of 3 600 to 5 000 gigawatts by 2000 The IAEA s 1980 projection was for 740 to 1 075 gigawatts of installed capacity by the year 2000 Even after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster the Nuclear Energy Agency forecasted an installed nuclear capacity of 497 to 646 gigawatts for the year 2000 The actual capacity in 2000 was 356 gigawatts Moreover construction costs have often been much higher and times much longer than projected failing to meet optimistic projections of unlimited cheap clean and safe electricity 29 Since about 2001 the term nuclear renaissance has been used to refer to a possible nuclear power industry revival driven by rising fossil fuel prices and new concerns about meeting greenhouse gas emission limits 3 However nuclear electricity generation in 2012 was at its lowest level since 1999 2 and new reactors under construction in Finland and France which were meant to lead a nuclear renaissance 30 have been delayed and are running over budget 30 31 32 China has 32 new reactors under construction 33 and there are also a considerable number of new reactors being built in South Korea India and Russia At the same time at least 100 older and smaller reactors will most probably be closed over the next 10 15 years 9 So the expanding nuclear programs in Asia are balanced by retirements of aging plants and nuclear reactor phase outs 34 In March 2011 the nuclear emergencies at Japan s Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and shutdowns at other nuclear facilities raised questions among some commentators over the future of the renaissance 35 36 37 38 39 Platts has reported that the crisis at Japan s Fukushima nuclear plants has prompted leading energy consuming countries to review the safety of their existing reactors and cast doubt on the speed and scale of planned expansions around the world 40 China Germany Switzerland Israel Malaysia Thailand United Kingdom Italy 41 and the Philippines have reviewed their nuclear power programs Indonesia and Vietnam still plan to build nuclear power plants 5 6 7 8 Countries such as Australia Austria Denmark Greece Ireland Latvia Liechtenstein Luxembourg Portugal Israel Malaysia New Zealand and Norway remain opposed to nuclear power Following the Fukushima I nuclear accidents the International Energy Agency halved its estimate of additional nuclear generating capacity built by 2035 42 Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster Germany permanently shut down eight of its reactors and pledged to close the rest by 2022 43 In 2011 Siemens exited the nuclear power sector following the changes to German energy policy and supported the German government s planned energy transition to renewable energy technologies 44 The Italians voted overwhelmingly to keep their country non nuclear 45 Switzerland and Spain have banned the construction of new reactors 46 Japan s prime minister called for a dramatic reduction in Japan s reliance on nuclear power 47 Taiwan s president did the same Mexico has sidelined construction of 10 reactors in favor of developing natural gas fired plants 48 Belgium decided to phase out its nuclear plants 46 China nuclear power s largest prospective market suspended approvals of new reactor construction while conducting a lengthy nuclear safety review 39 49 In 2012 a new safety plan for nuclear power was approved by State Council and full incorporation of International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA safety standards became explicit In the 13th Five Year Plan from 2016 six to eight nuclear reactors were to be approved each year A draft of the 14th Five Year Plan 2021 2025 released in March 2021 showed government plans to reach 70 GWe gross of nuclear capacity by the end of 2025 50 Neighboring India another potential nuclear boom market has encountered effective local opposition growing national wariness about foreign nuclear reactors and a nuclear liability controversy that threatens to prevent new reactor imports There have been mass protests against the French backed 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra and the 2000 MW Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu The state government of West Bengal state has also refused permission to a proposed 6000 MW facility near the town of Haripur that intended to host six Russian reactors 51 In March 2018 the government stated that nuclear capacity would fall well short of its 63 GWe target and that the total nuclear capacity is likely to be about 22 5 GWe by the year 2031 52 Following IPCC announcements climate concerns again started to dominate world opinion With rising oil and gas prices in 2022 many countries are reconsidering nuclear power In October 2021 the Japanese cabinet approved the new Plan for Electricity Generation to 2030 prepared by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy ANRE and an advisory committee following public consultation The nuclear target for 2030 of 20 22 is unchanged from that in the 2015 plan but renewables increase greatly to 36 38 including geothermal and hydro Hydrogen and ammonia are included at 1 The plan would require the restart of another ten reactors Prime minister Fumio Kishida in July 2022 announced that the country should consider building advanced reactors and extending operating licences beyond 60 years 53 In March 2022 Belgium delayed its plans to phase out nuclear energy by a decade The prime minister said that two reactors Doel 4 and Tihange 3 would continue operating to 2035 to strengthen our county s independence from fossil fuels in a turbulent geopolitical environment In June Engie said it was seeking financial aid from the government for the continued operation of the two reactors 54 Climate Change and the Energy Transition Edit Eliminating fossil fuels is essential in solving the climate change crisis Nuclear power has one of the lowest life cycle greenhouse gas emissions 55 56 Historically nuclear power has prevented 64 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas emissions between 1971 and 2009 57 With a significant amount of renewable energy installed in the 21st century it has been speculated that tensions between nuclear and renewable national energy development strategies might reduce their effectiveness in terms of climate change mitigation 58 However newer studies have refuted this idea Both nuclear and renewable energy have shown equally effective in the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions 59 60 An effective climate change mitigation strategy may include both nuclear and renewable energy sources 61 In 2018 the IPCC provided advice to policymakers giving four illustrative model pathways to limit warming to 1 5 degrees In each of these pathways nuclear energy generation increased between 98 and 501 over 2010 levels by 2050 62 In 2021 the European Union Joint Research Centre issued the results of its study on whether nuclear power generation meets the criteria of its Green Taxonomy The analyses did not reveal any science based evidence that nuclear energy does more harm to human health or to the environment than other electricity production technologies already included in the EU Green Taxonomy as activities supporting climate change mitigation 63 As a result of this assessment the EU Parliament voted to include nuclear energy in its Green Taxonomy 64 Moreover nuclear energy has such a low carbon footprint that it could power carbon dioxide capture and transformation 65 resulting in a carbon negative process Specifically various organizations are working across the globe to create designs for small modular reactors a type of nuclear fission reactor that is smaller than conventional reactors Some of these companies include ARC Nuclear 66 in Canada CNEA in Denmark Areva TA in France Toshiba and JAERI in Japan OKB Gidropress in Russia and OPEN100 67 and X energy 68 in the United States Policies by territory EditMain articles Nuclear energy policy by country and Nuclear power by country See also List of nuclear reactorsSee also Edit nbsp Energy portal nbsp Nuclear technology portal Anti nuclear movement Energy development Energy economics Fossil fuels phase out List of anti nuclear groups List of countries with nuclear weapons List of energy topics Nuclear energy policy of the United States Nuclear free zone Nuclear power by country Nuclear power in France Nuclear power phase out Pro nuclear movement Renewable energy commercialization Vulnerability of nuclear plants to attack World Nuclear Industry Status ReportReferences Edit IAEA 2011 Power Reactor Information System a b Nuclear power down in 2012 a b The Nuclear Renaissance by the World Nuclear Association url https www worldnuclearreport org IMG pdf wnisr2022 v3 lr pdf a b Jo Chandler March 19 2011 Is this the end of the nuclear revival The Sydney Morning Herald a b Aubrey Belford March 17 2011 Indonesia to Continue Plans for Nuclear Power New York Times a b Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu Japan situation has caused me to reconsider nuclear power Piers Morgan on CNN published 2011 03 17 accessed 2011 03 17 a b Israeli PM cancels plan to build nuclear plant xinhuanet com published 2011 03 18 accessed 2011 03 17 a b Michael Dittmar Taking stock of nuclear renaissance that never was Sydney Morning Herald August 18 2010 Nuclear power When the steam clears The Economist March 24 2011 Duroyan Fertl June 5 2011 Germany Nuclear power to be phased out by 2022 Green Left Research and Markets International Perspectives on Energy Policy and the Role of Nuclear Power Reuters May 6 2009 Survey of energy resources PDF World Energy Council 2004 Archived from the original PDF on 2007 09 25 Retrieved 2007 07 13 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Mycle Schneider Steve Thomas Antony Froggatt Doug Koplow August 2009 The World Nuclear Industry Status Report Archived 2008 06 25 at the Wayback Machine German Federal Ministry of Environment Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety p 6 Energy Electricity and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2030 PDF International Atomic Energy Agency September 2008 Retrieved 2008 09 08 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Historic Move IAEA Shifts 47 Japanese Reactors Into Long Term Shutdown Category World Nuclear Industry Status Report 16 1 2013 Multilateral Cooperation in Asia s Nuclear Sector 2014 Pacific Energy Summit Working Paper 8 6 14 a b Brian Martin Opposing nuclear power past and present Social Alternatives Vol 26 No 2 Second Quarter 2007 pp 43 47 a b Nuclear renaissance faces realities Platts Retrieved 2007 07 13 http www nbr org research activity aspx id 352 How Can Japan Compete in a Changing Global Market Clara Gillispie The National Bureau of Asian Research July 201 L Meeus K Purchala R Belmans Is it reliable to depend on import PDF Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Departement of Electrical Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering Archived from the original PDF on 2011 05 20 Retrieved 2007 07 13 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Angela Merkel s nuclear folly fuelled Putin s ambitions in Ukraine Globe and Mail 2022 Germany s Uniper to restart coal fired power plant as Gazprom halts supply to Europe Reuters 2022 Germany to keep two nuclear plants available as a backup and burn coal as it faces an energy crisis brought on by war and climate change CNBC 2022 Olkiluoto pipe welding deficient says regulator World Nuclear News 16 October 2009 Retrieved 8 June 2010 Kinnunen Terhi 2010 07 01 Finnish parliament agrees plans for two reactors Reuters Retrieved 2010 07 02 Olkiluoto 3 delayed beyond 2014 World Nuclear News 17 July 2012 Retrieved 24 July 2012 Finland s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant delayed again BBC 16 July 2012 Retrieved 10 August 2012 Mycle Schneider and Antony Froggatt September October 2012 2011 2012 world nuclear industry status report Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 68 5 8 22 Bibcode 2012BuAtS 68e 8S doi 10 1177 0096340212459126 S2CID 145136334 a b James Kanter Is the Nuclear Renaissance Fizzling Green 29 May 2009 James Kanter In Finland Nuclear Renaissance Runs Into Trouble New York Times May 28 2009 Rob Broomby Nuclear dawn delayed in Finland BBC News 8 July 2009 Nuclear Power in China Mark Diesendorf 2013 Book review Contesting the future of nuclear power PDF Energy Policy Nuclear Renaissance Threatened as Japan s Reactor Struggles Bloomberg published March 2011 accessed 2011 03 14 Analysis Nuclear renaissance could fizzle after Japan quake Reuters published 2011 03 14 accessed 2011 03 14 Japan nuclear woes cast shadow over U S energy policy Reuters published 2011 03 13 accessed 2011 03 14 Nuclear winter Quake casts new shadow on reactors MarketWatch published 2011 03 14 accessed 2011 03 14 a b Will China s nuclear nerves fuel a boom in green energy Channel 4 published 2011 03 17 accessed 2011 03 17 NEWS ANALYSIS Japan crisis puts global nuclear expansion in doubt Platts 21 March 2011 Italy announces nuclear moratorium World Nuclear News 24 March 2011 Retrieved 23 May 2011 Gauging the pressure The Economist 28 April 2011 Retrieved 3 May 2011 Annika Breidthardt May 30 2011 German government wants nuclear exit by 2022 at latest Reuters Siemens to quit nuclear industry BBC News September 18 2011 Italy Nuclear Referendum Results June 13 2011 Archived from the original on March 25 2012 a b Henry Sokolski November 28 2011 Nuclear Power Goes Rogue Newsweek Archived from the original on December 18 2012 Retrieved November 29 2011 Tsuyoshi Inajima amp Yuji Okada October 28 2011 Nuclear Promotion Dropped in Japan Energy Policy After Fukushima Bloomberg Carlos Manuel Rodriguez November 4 2011 Mexico Scraps Plans to Build 10 Nuclear Power Plants in Favor of Using Gas Bloomberg Businessweek the CNN Wire Staff China freezes nuclear plant approvals CNN com Edition cnn com Retrieved 2011 03 16 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a author has generic name help World Nuclear Association Nuclear Power in China Siddharth Srivastava 27 October 2011 India s Rising Nuclear Safety Concerns Asia Sentinel Archived from the original on 4 October 2013 Retrieved 29 November 2011 Issues Concerning Installation of new NPPs Government of India Department of Atomic Energy Lok Sabha unstarred question no 4226 to be answered on 21 03 2018 PDF World Nuclear Association Nuclear Power in Japan World Nuclear Association Nuclear Power in Belgium Integrated life cycle assessment of electricity sources Figure 37 PDF UNECE 2022 p 50 IPCC Working Group III Mitigation of Climate Change Annex III Technology specific cost and performance parameters Table A III 2 Emissions of selected electricity supply technologies gCO 2eq kWh PDF IPCC 2014 p 1335 Retrieved 14 December 2018 Kharecha Pushker A Hansen James E 2013 Prevented Mortality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Historical and Projected Nuclear Power Environmental Science amp Technology 47 9 4889 95 Bibcode 2013EnST 47 4889K doi 10 1021 es3051197 PMID 23495839 Sovacool Benjamin K Schmid Patrick Stirling Andy Walter Goetz MacKerron Gordon 5 October 2020 Differences in carbon emissions reduction between countries pursuing renewable electricity versus nuclear power Nature Energy 5 11 928 935 Bibcode 2020NatEn 5 928S doi 10 1038 s41560 020 00696 3 S2CID 225107514 Fell Harrison Gilbert Alexander Jenkins Jesse Mildenberger Matto 2021 01 08 Reply to Differences in Carbon Emissions Reduction between Countries Pursuing Renewable Electricity Versus Nuclear Power by Sovacool Et Al 2020 SSRN Elsevier doi 10 2139 ssrn 3762762 S2CID 234183759 Wagner Friedrich 2021 05 20 CO2 emissions of nuclear power and renewable energies a statistical analysis of European and global data The European Physical Journal Plus 136 5 562 Bibcode 2021EPJP 136 562W doi 10 1140 epjp s13360 021 01508 7 IPCC 2013 03 31 IPCC Fifth Assessment Report WG3 Summary for Policymakers PDF Special Report Global Warming of 1 5 C Summary for Policymakers 2018 Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the do no significant harm criteria of Regulation EU 2020 852 Taxonomy Regulation PDF 2021 nbsp Text was copied from this source which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4 0 International License EU parliament backs labelling gas and nuclear investments as green 2022 Kugelmass Bret Want to stop climate change Embrace the nuclear option USA TODAY Retrieved 2021 01 19 Carbon Free Energy ARC Clean Energy www arcenergy co Retrieved 2021 01 19 OPEN100 Nuclear Energy Open100 Retrieved 2021 01 19 X energy Advanced Nuclear Reactors SMR amp TRISO Fuel X energy Retrieved 2021 01 19 Further reading EditCooke Stephanie 2009 In Mortal Hands A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age Black Inc Diesendorf Mark 2007 Greenhouse Solutions with Sustainable Energy University of New South Wales Press Elliott David 2007 Nuclear or Not Does Nuclear Power Have a Place in a Sustainable Energy Future Palgrave Falk Jim 1982 Global Fission The Battle Over Nuclear Power Oxford University Press Ferguson Charles D Nuclear Energy Balancing Benefits and Risks Council on Foreign Relations 2007 Lovins Amory B 1977 Soft Energy Paths Towards a Durable Peace Friends of the Earth International ISBN 0 06 090653 7 Lovins Amory B and John H Price 1975 Non Nuclear Futures The Case for an Ethical Energy Strategy Ballinger Publishing Company 1975 ISBN 0 88410 602 0 Lowe Ian 2007 Reaction Time Climate Change and the Nuclear Option Quarterly Essay Pernick Ron and Clint Wilder 2007 The Clean Tech Revolution The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity Collins ISBN 978 0 06 089623 2 Schneider Mycle Steve Thomas Antony Froggatt Doug Koplow August 2009 The World Nuclear Industry Status Report German Federal Ministry of Environment Nature Conservation and Reactor Safety Sovacool Benjamin K 2011 Contesting the Future of Nuclear Power A Critical Global Assessment of Atomic Energy World Scientific Walker J Samuel 2004 Three Mile Island A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective University of California Press External links EditNEI Public Policy Information Robert J Duffy Nuclear Politics in America A History and Theory of Government Regulation Studies in Government and Public Policy Paperback 1997 ISBN 0 7006 0853 2 Carlton Stoiber Alec Baer Norbert Pelzer Wolfram Tonhauser Handbook on Nuclear Law IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency 2003 Annotated bibliography for nuclear power from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues Fairewinds Energy Education Schneider Mycle Steve Thomas Antony Froggatt Doug Koplow 2016 The World Nuclear Industry Status Report World Nuclear Industry Status as of 1 January 2016 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nuclear energy policy amp oldid 1169237773, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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