atw - International Journal for Nuclear Power | 10.2020

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atw Vol. 65 (2020) | Issue 10 ı October 530 NUCLEAR TODAY John Shepherd is editor-in-chief of New Energy 360 and WorldBatteryNews.com. Sources: NASA report on China: https://bbc.in/2F5nhzc Launch of Natrium: https://bit.ly/3i1DUtP IEA analysis: https://bit.ly/326yU1n Nuclear has a Clear Advantage on the Post-Pandemic Climate Agenda As we all start out on the road to what is now referred to as the ‘new normal’ – a world that will have to get on with life in the shadow of Covid-19 for some time to come – what better opportunity to take stock of how we have been caring for ourselves and our environment and to think about what we could do better. It’s hard to talk about ‘emerging from the pandemic’ when so many countries still have a major public health battle on their hands’. However, prolonged hibernation is not an option. The world must collectively pick itself up from the awful impact of what has happened and move on. But it cannot mean a return to ‘business as usual’ and that is to be welcomed. Our industrial activities in particular are under greater scrutiny now more than ever, as a result of the pandemic. The lockdowns much of the world experienced in recent months saw cars disappear from the roads, public transportation halted and major industries reduced to a flicker of activity or idled completely. However, while economies suffered, ecology flourished – most noticeably in terms of the reduction in carbon emissions and the positive impact on air quality across the developing and developed nations. In India, data published in the journal ‘Joule’ showed an increase in output of more than 8% from solar installations in Delhi after that country’s first mandatory lockdown in March. That might not sound like much, but experts point out that if a solar company expected to get a 2 % profit margin out of their planned 100 % panel output, and suddenly they are getting an output of 108 %, that means their margin has increased fivefold, from 2 % to 10 %. In the UK, at one point during the spring lockdown, renewable electricity sources were providing almost 70 % of Britain’s electricity, according to ‘Drax Electric Insight’. In late May, nuclear power and renewables together produced 90 % of Britain’s electricity, leaving just 2.8 GW to come from fossil fuels, Drax reported. Satellite images of China, published by the US space agency NASA, showed what the agency said was a dramatic decline in pollution levels that was “at least partly” due to the economic slowdown prompted by the pandemic. So, despite the deadly consequences of the pandemic, the ‘positive impact’ of Covid-19 on the environment should be regarded as an environmental wake-up call. Nuclear power generation is among industrialised activities that can thrive without choking our atmosphere. The nuclear industry now has an opportunity to seize the moment and burnish its environmental credentials further. Now is the time to reach out directly to the general public and restate nuclear’s ability to flourish as part of an increasingly renewables-rich energy landscape. There is everything to play for and the logic, evidence – and most importantly the science – are on the side of nuclear energy. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), while the existing nuclear fleet remains the world’s second most important low-carbon source of electricity, new nuclear construction is not on track with the agency’s Sustainable Development Scenario (SDS). The IEA projected in 2019 that, according to current trends, nuclear capacity in 2040 would amount to 455 GW – “well below the SDS level of 601 GW”. The IEA said additional lifetime extensions and a doubling of the annual rate of capacity additions was required. IEA executive director Fatih Birol was unambiguous: “Alongside renewables, energy efficiency and other innovative technologies, nuclear can make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable energy goals and enhancing energy security.” The IEA is not an organisation that might be classed as a ‘typical suspect’ when it comes to support for nuclear. The agency simply points out the obvious, guided by the science, and urges countries to “keep their options open”. The IEA also recognises the value of supporting innovative new reactor designs, such as small modular reactors. In turn, as the IEA correctly points out, these advances in technology can actually help the integration of more wind and solar capacity into electricity systems. And as readers of this journal will know, there are advances in nuclear technology that can support the clean energy transition that are attracting investment. One example is the ‘Natrium’ concept, launched in the US recently by TerraPower and GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The concept features a sodium fast reactor combined with a molten salt energy storage system that the partners say will allow more than five hours of energy storage. The hope is that the technology could be commercialised by the end of this decade. In the UK, EDF is looking into the prospects for low- carbon hydrogen production by electrolysis using nuclear-generated electricity. Hydrogen is widely seen as a potential contributor to a future, cleaner fuel mix, for transport. Returning to my earlier point, encouraging a new public relations offensive by the nuclear industry, how might this be achieved? A grassroots approach would be a great start. Nuclear energy associations and utilities could look at reviving the popular ‘town twinning’ schemes that were so active in the 1980s and 1990s, but focusing on cities or regions that host nuclear power plants or research facilities. These communities could be encouraged to exchange experiences of the beneficial impact the plants have had on the respective communities – and to eventually be able, pandemic restrictions permitting, to organise reciprocal visits. I recollect such a scheme was launched some time ago in Europe by mayors of cities that hosted nuclear facilities. What better time to breathe new life into that initiative? The people who work within, or live alongside nuclear facilities, understand the benefits of the technology and are among the best ‘ambassadors’ for the industry in our new, more climate-conscious world. Let their voices be heard. Author John Shepherd Nuclear Today Nuclear has a Clear Advantage on the Post-Pandemic Climate Agenda ı John Shepherd
Kommunikation und Training für Kerntechnik Atomrecht 360° kompakt JETZT ANMELDEN! Seminar: Atomrecht – Was Sie wissen müssen Seminarinhalte ı ı ı ı Einführung: Was muss ich wissen, wenn es um Atomrecht geht? Atomrecht 360° im Schnelldurchlauf ı Atomverwaltung ı Neuorganisation der Entsorgung ı Genehmigungsverfahren Vertrags- und Haftungsrecht im Nuklearbereich Nuklearhaftung Seminarziel In dem Seminar werden die wichtigsten Bereiche des deutschen Atomrechts (mit ausgewählten Verbindungen ins EU- und internationale Atomrecht) im Überblick behandelt sowie das Vertrags- und Haftungsrecht im Bereich Atomrecht beleuchtet. Termin 11. November 2020 09:00 bis 17:00 Uhr Veranstaltungsort Kaiserin Friedrich Haus Robert-Koch-Platz 7 10115 Berlin Teilnahmegebühr 998,– € ı zzgl. 16 % USt. Im Preis inbegriffen sind: ı Seminarunterlagen ı Teilnahmebescheinigung ı Pausenverpflegung inkl. Mittagessen Zielgruppe ı Fach- und Führungskräfte, Projektleiter und -mitarbeiter, Techniker, Energiewirtschaftler, Öffentlichkeitsarbeiter sowie Juristen anderer Fachbereiche Maximale Teilnehmerzahl: 8 Personen Referenten Dr. Christian Raetzke | Rechtsanwalt Leipzig Akos Frank LL. M. (SULS Boston) | Experte für Handelsrecht, Group Senior Legal Counsel, NKT A/S Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Teilnahme! Kontakt INFORUM Verlags- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH Robert-Koch-Platz 4 10115 Berlin Petra Dinter-Tumtzak Fon +49 30 498555-33 Fax +49 30 498555-18 Seminare@KernD.de Bei Fragen zur Anmeldung rufen Sie uns bitte an oder senden uns eine E-Mail.
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