Nuclear is quietly making a big return

Tim Yeo
Tim Yeo Chairman New Nuclear Watch Institute

Energy security concern is building support for nuclear, but success will hinge on governments and industry, says Tim Yeo, Chairman of the New Nuclear Watch Institute.

In 2022, Europe woke up to the folly of depending on Russian gas. Supply security became the priority for most governments, followed by concern over prices. Sustainability slipped down the agenda, despite overwhelming evidence that we need to speed up CO2 emissions cuts.

The rush to end reliance on imported fossil fuels and the need for more resilient energy systems is an opportunity for nuclear power, which is the only large-scale zero-carbon generator of dispatchable baseload electricity. It thus complements intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

Nuclear fuel is readily available from geographically and politically diverse suppliers, so investing in nuclear capacity improves energy security. It also helps to accelerate the clean energy transition.

Continue reading

Subscribe to our

Newsletter

Basics of our newsletter, a must-have industry update.

Every month, you will receive

Brief highlight of the most important news about the energy and climate change
Update on a wide range of topical events and conferences
Summary of articles, viewpoints and reports with a short commentary
I agree to Privacy Policy and Terms Conditions