EXCLUSIVE: EU paints challenging picture of Europe’s nuclear future

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http://www.energypost.eu/exclusive-eu-paints-challenging-picture-europes-nuclear-future/

EXCLUSIVE: EU paints challenging picture of Europe’s nuclear future

February 2, 2016 by Sonja van Renssen 2 Comments

In a leaked draft document obtained by Energy Post, the European Commission outlines the investments in the EU nuclear industry that it believes are needed out to 2050. The document, originally announced for last year, but off the table again for February, paints a challenging picture for the European nuclear industry. €450-550 billion will have to be spent on new plants and lifetime extensions, costs of decommissioning and waste management are high, competitiveness is a challenge and nuclear’s share in the energy mix will decline from 27% today to 17-21%. Sonja van Renssen investigates.

The “Communication for a Nuclear Illustrative Programme” or PINC is a non-legislative document “periodically” produced by the European Commission, as required by the Euratom Treaty (article 40) that “provides an overview of investments in the EU for all the steps of the nuclear lifecycle”. The last PINC dates back to 2008 so the one currently under preparation will be the first since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011. It “provides a basis to discuss the role of nuclear energy in achieving the EU energy objectives”.

The Commission reminds us of a few facts (see also Box below). Nuclear energy is part of the energy mix of half the EU’s Member States. There, it “has a role to play in ensuring security of electricity supply”. It also plays a part in tackling climate change: “With 27% of electricity produced from nuclear energy and 27% from renewable sources, the EU is currently one of only three major economies [Brazil and Canada are the other two] that generate more than half of their electricity without producing greenhouse gases.”

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1. Limited prospects for recycling nuclear fuel

BOX: Limited prospects for recycling nuclear fuel

France is the only country in Europe that is still working towards a fully closed fuel cycle with fast neutron reactors and advanced reprocessing technology. Other countries use open cycles. France will be the only country to operate reprocessing facilities after 2018 (when those in the UK are shut down). The partially closed cycle that technology currently permits “is not expected to give a major reduction of the final disposal solution footprint in comparison to an open cycle”. The future of recycled nuclear fuel is limited by the lack of fast-breeder reactors, more safety requirements, a higher risk of proliferation, lower competitiveness, and the fact that it still requires a final waste depository.