According to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, nuclear power is about to make a global comeback. “Countries that have wanted to phase out nuclear power in recent years should see if now is the best time to do so,” Birol said in an interview with Reuters-TV.
Nuclear power is making a strong comeback around the world, from Japan, South Korea to the US and Sweden. In Europe, countries such as Belgium are choosing to extend the life of their nuclear reactors. The background for the governments is primarily the concern for security of supply. “Nuclear energy will become part of the energy mix.” Within the EU, 14 of the 27 EU countries are currently dependent on nuclear energy.
Lone nuclear power opponent Austria
Austria is completely alone in its categorical rejection of nuclear power. That is why the government mainly relies on legal action. In October, Austria filed a complaint with the European Court of Justice (CJEU) against the European Commission’s plans to designate nuclear energy as sustainable. So far, only Luxembourg has joined the Austrian lawsuit.
The majority of EU countries support the so-called Taxonomy Regulation, which will make financial investments in gas and nuclear energy climate-friendly in the future. This should help mobilize the billions needed for climate change and pave the way for the EU to become climate neutral by 2050.
Fight against nuclear energy in the government program
In the government program for 2020, the turquoise green federal government has also committed to opposing the “construction and expansion of nuclear power plants in Europe, especially in neighboring countries, by all available political and legal means”.
On the other hand, Birol reacted with restraint when asked for proposals for the German federal government. Germany should be criticizing itself for relying on one country and one company for decades, he said, referring to Gazprom’s gas imports from Russia. He added that the limited expansion of Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants was correct. “Now all energy sources are needed for the coming winter, including nuclear energy,” Birol emphasized, referring to the final closure of the last nuclear power plants in Germany in the spring.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
