How can nuclear energy be the savior of net-Net Zero Emissions strategies?

How can nuclear energy be the savior of net-zero emissions strategies?

In light ofthe sustainability challengesthat the world is going through, strategies for meeting energy needs vary from one country to another, between increasing reliance on renewable energy alternatives, and ignoring environmental aspects and moving forward with policies that enhance dependence on fossil fuels, but in light of this variationnuclear energypresents itself as a radical solution to many problems, and a means to achieve both sides of the difficult equation, They are: meeting energy needs and achieving net zero emissions.

Ghosts of the Past

The orientation of different governments – as well as people’s acceptance of nuclear energy – varies between being completely supportive and completely rejecting. When we mention the phrase “nuclear energy,” fears arise for most of us. Despite the great benefits resulting from this technology, the accidents that result from it are catastrophic, and their effects may last for centuries.

Of course, the most prominent event that comes to mind is the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, which affected the lives of more than 500,000 nuclear power plant workers, in addition to a huge number of people in an area extending over 150,000 square kilometers between Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Nearly 40 years after the Chernobyl disaster – and more than 10 years after the Fukushima disaster – governments are looking for ways to integrate nuclear energy into their sustainability systems and leverage it as a highly profitable source of net-zero energy.

The world may not have expected that nuclear power, with its destructive nature, would be included alongside renewables and carbon capture and storage solutions, as one of the key means of achieving the goal of net-zero emissions. For example, the United Kingdom will classify nuclear energy as environmentally sustainable, as part of its efforts to reduce emissions and meet the growing demand for clean energy.

Many reports indicate that nuclear energy is one of the primary means of combating global warming, and this is in light of the turbulent landscape of the global energy market, which will help a number of governments to fulfill their obligations towards transitioning to clean energy.

This comes at a time when the United States is expanding its research into generating energy from nuclear fusion reactions – a topic that we highlighted in the previous issue – in light of the interest of a large number of countries in adopting this idea in the future.

Is nuclear energy a safe solution?

Returning to the most important topic: “safety.” Nuclear energy is now considered one of the safest forms of energy and is leading to the construction of the safest facilities in the world, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

When it comes to data on the energy sector, the “Our World in Data” Foundation provides accurate statistics on the amount of energy generated from nuclear energy in the world, and these statistics indicate that the most prominent users of nuclear energy – including the United States, Russia and China – have produced large amounts of energy exceeding 200 terawatt hours in 2022.

In light of what we are living in, it can be said that all zero-emission energy sources are in fact profitable industries, but the question that arises here is: How sustainable is the supply chain for nuclear power plants?

Builders and operators of nuclear power plants must take into account the impacts of the supply chain, both during the construction phase and during operations. Relying on this type of energy must not only lead to a limited focus on the operation phase and the emissions resulting from it, but rather broad monitoring of all stages of the supply chain. In order to ensure true net zero emissions.

To achieve the above, governments must develop a comprehensive approach to clean energy, by integrating profitable large-scale energy sources – such as nuclear energy – into their strategies, along with adopting technologies such as carbon capture, storage or utilization (CCUS), which can help significantly reach net-zero emissions in the power generation sector.

In conclusion, we emphasize that nuclear energy is a major key to achieving the goal of net zero emissions, by working in partnership with renewable energy sources – and other low-carbon options – as part of the sustainable energy system.