atw International Journal for Nuclear Power | 04.2020

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atw Vol. 65 (2020) | Issue 4 ı April 238 NUCLEAR TODAY John Shepherd is a freelance journalist and communications consultant. Sources: Franz Timmermans interview https://bit.ly/39APlV0 NEA Nuclear Energy Date 2019 https://bit.ly/38xxLjt Barakah-1 announcement https://bit.ly/2IvGatm Cards Still Stacked Against Nuclear in Green Investment Deal John Shepherd The launch a few weeks ago of proposals for a European Climate Law should have been a clarion call towards ushering in a cleaner, greener future – but instead of a fanfare for change. I heard only another requiem for common sense. I had initially listened with anticipation as Frans Timmermans, the European Commission’s executive vice-president, opened a ‘high-level public conference’ on the European Union’s so-called Green Deal investment plan and the proposals for the new climate law. The background to the conference was the Commission’s decision to enshrine in the law the goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is without doubt a worthy ambition for Europe that can impact the wider world. However, the conference appears to have been yet another missed opportunity to demonstrate that nuclear technology might finally be judged on its merits in the climate debate rather than political ideology. One might have expected better of such a grand European initiative, yet such hopes were dashed in favour of disappointment. According to the Commission, it plans at least € 1 trillion in sustainable investments over the next decade to support its Green Deal, but transition fund money under the plan will not contribute towards building nuclear power plants. Vice-president Timmermans himself told the conference that, in support of the climate law, Europe has “the science and technology and we can certainly find the money”. But he neglected to say money would not be fairly allocated. He said the law would “give that extra bit of security” some investors needed to make “the jump into the future” in terms of providing technological projects that would support the EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality and a substantial reduction of emissions by 2030. But what investor will feel secure in pursuing advances in clean, nuclear energy development without a level playing field on which to compete for funds? We have heard warm words indeed from the Commissioner, but they offer only cold comfort for potential nuclear technology investors. Indeed, the Commissioner was quoted as saying in a recent interview that while nuclear has a positive effect on greenhouse gas emissions, he believed nuclear was “not sustainable”. The high-level conference compounded its disdain for keeping an open mind on climate-friendly technologies when it held two debates with panelists. Not one nuclear industry representative was on either panel, although a solar power company CEO was allowed in. Europe can and should do better than this. The near-130 nuclear reactor units in operation across the EU provide more than half of the bloc’s low-carbon electricity output. According to the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), despite a 1.1 % decrease in total nuclear capacity across NEA member countries in 2018 (292.7 GWe in 2018 compared to 296.0 GWe in 2017), the total electricity production of these highly-efficient plants increased. Meanwhile, one of the planet’s oil-rich regions declared itself the world’s latest nuclear energy newcomer with the successful completion of fuel assembly loading at Unit 1 of the United Arab Emirates’ Barakah nuclear plant. The UAE said on 3 March it was the first country in the Arab world to achieve this status. CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Mohamed Al Hammadi, said the move was progress towards providing the UAE with “clean, reliable and abundant electricity to power our economic and societal growth”. Oil exports account for around 25 % of the UAE’s gross domestic product, so when such a region sees the economic and environmental value of investing in nuclear power, one might have thought that even the corridors of power in Brussels would pay attention. Sadly not. A reliance on facts seems to have little impact when it comes to changing minds and policies on certain subjects and nuclear often seems to fall victim to intransigence, regardless of the evidence. Therefore, it’s important for those who work inside and alongside the nuclear energy community to build new alliances. The president and CEO of the US Nuclear Energy Industry, Maria Korsnick, hit the nail on the head recently. She was discussing some of the misconceptions that surround the industry when she said: “What we need is a partnership between wind, solar and batteries, and a carbon-free source like nuclear power that can always be there. It’s really all of that working together.” Cooperation between nuclear and battery storage does of course hold promise. But I’ve even seen a nonsensical approach to EU policymaking hamper progress in the battery industry. A couple of years ago, the Commission launched a ‘ Batteries Alliance’ to invest in research and development of technologies to power future electric vehicles. All well and good, I hear you say. Indeed, that would be true, except for the fact that the initiative unashamedly favored one chemistry (lithium-ion) over another (lead batteries). The then energy commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, said the EU would invest to support firms producing European batteries with “truly green” credentials, which he regarded as lithium rather than lead. However, a study compiled for the Commission concluded that the EU should first deal with its “outdated” rules and inadequate targets for recycling lithium batteries. By contrast, the study said the bloc’s lead battery firms were helping to ensure near 100 % recycling of their products under a highly-regulated process that was “ generally profitable” and helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions! Our politicians and policymakers have got to get out of this bad habit of stacking the cards against a particular technology for ideological reasons alone. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackling climate change and certainly no silver bullet. Nuclear Today Cards Still Stacked Against Nuclear in Green Investment Deal ı John Shepherd
Kommunikation und Training für Kerntechnik Strahlenschutz – Aktuell In Kooperation mit TÜV SÜD Energietechnik GmbH Baden-Württemberg Seminar: Das Strahlenschutzrecht und seine praktische Umsetzung Seminarinhalte 1. Einführung: Grundlagen des Strahlenschutzes und des Strahlenschutzrechts 2. Das neue Strahlenschutzrecht von 2017/18 3. Genehmigungen, Anzeigen, Pflichten bei strahlenschutzrelevanten Aktivitäten a. Geplante Expositionssituationen (Tätigkeiten) b. Bestehende Expositionssituationen c. Notfallexpositionssituationen (Schutz der Einsatzkräfte) 4. Umsetzung des Strahlenschutzes a. Dosisgrenzwerte, Dosisrichtwerte b. Betriebliche Organisation des Strahlenschutzes c. Fachkunde d. Strahlenschutzregister 5. Aufsicht 6. Notfallschutz und Notfallvorsorge 7. Strahlenschutz im Back End a. Radioaktive Abfälle b. Freigabe, Herausgabe Zielgruppe Die 2-tägige Schulung wendet sich an Fach- und Führungskräfte, an Projekt- und Abteilungsleiter und Experten aus den Bereichen Betrieb, Abfälle, Genehmigung, Strategie und Unternehmens kommunikation sowie an Juristen. Referenten Dr. Maria Poetsch Dr. Christian Raetzke ı Strahlenschutzexpertin bei der TÜV SÜD Energietechnik GmbH Baden-Württemberg ı Rechtsanwalt, Leipzig Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Teilnahme! Bei Fragen zur Anmeldung rufen Sie uns bitte an oder senden uns eine E-Mail. Termine 2 Tage 16. bis 17. Juni 2020 29. bis 30. Oktober 2020 Tag 1: 10:30 bis 17:30 Uhr Tag 2: 09:00 bis 16:30 Uhr Berlin Teilnahmegebühr 1.598,– € ı zzgl. 19 % USt. Im Preis inbegriffen sind: ı Seminarunterlagen ı Teilnahmebescheinigung ı Pausenverpflegung inkl. Mittagessen Kontakt INFORUM Verlags- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH Robert-Koch-Platz 4 10115 Berlin Petra Dinter-Tumtzak Fon +49 30 498555-30 Fax +49 30 498555-18 Seminare@KernD.de
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