Articles & Viewpoints
17 December 2020
Progress will depend on policies that do not discriminate against nuclear
by David Dalton, NUCNET
Nuclear-produced hydrogen could make a sizeable contribution to the development of the hydrogen economy in the UK and Europe, but progress will depend on the adoption of technology-neutral policies which do now discriminate against nuclear power, a think-tank says in a new report. Cost of using reactors for production would be lower than wind, report also concludes.
16 December 2020
Study confirms benefits of using nuclear power for robust hydrogen economy
by NNWI
The research, titled ‘On the Role of Nuclear Power in the Development of a European Hydrogen Economy’, concludes that using nuclear power to produce hydrogen has several advantages compared to using intermittent renewables. The new report also explores the possible future development of EU hydrogen policy, taking into consideration the European Commission’s ‘A Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe’.
15 December 2020
TIM YEO: Response to Energy White Paper
by NNWI
The white paper addresses the transformation of our energy system, promoting high-skilled jobs and clean, resilient economic growth as we deliver net-zero emissions by 2050. The New Nuclear Watch Institute welcomes the commitment in the White Paper to bringing "at least one further large-scale nuclear project to the point if FID by the end of this Parliament."
30 October 2020
TIM YEO: Meeting the rising demand for electricity
by New Europe
One of the few certainties in the energy industry is that demand for electricity will rise substantially. Although there is consensus about the urgency of the need to decarbonise electricity production if the world is to get anywhere near meeting the goals of the 2015 Paris Accord there is less agreement about the best way to do this.
4 June 2020
TIM YEO: Making sure the global economic recovery is sustainable
by New Europe
Before Covid-19 struck, Green New Deals, sometimes stronger on vision than specifics, were becoming fashionable in rich western countries. In the post-pandemic crisis world, the danger is climate commitments slip down the priority list. To prevent this a response involving a wider group than the G7 and the BRICS is needed.
7 November 2019
Europe must not ignore nuclear in fight against climate change
by Andrew Fawthrop, NS Energy
NNWI boss Tim Yeo says there is a 'big opportunity' for Europe to become an industry leader in tackling climate change. Europe’s policymakers and nuclear industry are missing a “unique opportunity” to tackle the climate emergency.
6 November 2019
A European Green New Deal
by Tim Yeo, The New Nuclear Watch Institute
Not a day too soon a step change in international concern about climate change has occurred in 2019. It's just over a year since the IPCC warned of the dangers of a rise of more than 1.5 C in global average surface temperature.
6 November 2019
Can nuclear energy be a competitive climate change option today?
by Kirsty Gogan, Energy for Humanity
To manage climate change, we need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the global energy system to near zero by mid-century. Meanwhile, global energy demand might double.
6 November 2019
Hinkley Point C: Building a legacy
by Mark Hartley, EDF Energy
Decarbonising the UK economy by moving away from gas and coal energy generation and towards a future powered by low carbon electricity is essential for the UK to tackle climate change.
6 November 2019
A reliable future
by Dr Ben Britton, Imperial College London
The climate emergency is now. We need bold and brave people to make the right solutions possible. Nuclear projects are substantive, and long term investments, that will support decarbonisation and reduction of the impact of humans for this generation, and many generations to come.
6 November 2019
Decarbonisation in South
East Europe and the role
of nuclear power
by Costis Stambolis, IENE
In view of the very ambitious targets set by the European Commission for decarbonising power generation across Europe, and SE Europe in particular, which relies a great deal on coal and lignite for power generation, and the inadequate policies so far applied, it is highly debatable if the targets set for 2020 and the revised, even higher ones for 2030, let alone those of 2050, can actually be met.
19 June 2019
TIM YEO: Time for commonsense regulation
by New Europe
The need for much faster reduction in fossil fuel use is now almost universally accepted. This poses a challenge for electricity, almost two thirds of which is generated using carbon intensive fossil fuels.
26 October 2018
Interview with Tim Yeo: Convincing Europe to embrace nuclear power
by Petroleum Economist
Tim Yeo faces an uphill struggle in trying to persuade Europeans to think nuclear. The problem is that among governments in Europe, the focus of Yeo's lobby group, the trend is away from the use of nuclear, not towards it. The UK is the exception.
26 September 2018
Abandoning nuclear power plans 'would push up carbon emissions'
by Adam Vaughan, The Guardian
Abandoning the UK’s ambitions for a number of new nuclear power stations would cause carbon emissions to spike and push up energy costs, according to lobbyists led by a former Conservative MP.
17 December 2020
Hydrogen can be a “vital” tool in the decarbonisation of energy systems
by EU Political Report
There has never been a greater focus on the development of a clean hydrogen market. A new report by the New Nuclear Watch Institute analyses the potential of hydrogen as a decarbonising agent as well as the state of present-day policy. It notes the “valuable role” that nuclear-produced hydrogen can play in hastening the development of a widespread hydrogen deployment.
16 December 2020
New study makes 'clear case' for technology-neutral policies
by EU Reporter
A new report highlights the “sizeable contribution” that nuclear-produced hydrogen, using electrolyzer technology, could have in the development of the hydrogen economy. It goes on to caution though that the realisation of those benefits will depend on the adoption of technology-neutral policies which “do not discriminate against nuclear power.”
10 December 2020
TIM YEO: Response to IEA/OECD NEA report
by NNWI
This joint report by the IEA and the NEA is the ninth in a series of studies on electricity generating costs. As countries work towards ensuring an electricity supply that is reliable, affordable and increasingly low carbon, it is crucial that policymakers, modellers and experts have at their disposal reliable information on the cost of generation.
26 October 2020
Essential role of nuclear in the urgently needed transformation of the world's energy system
by Tim Yeo and others
Anyone concerned about climate change should recognise that no single form of energy can avert the threat on its own. We need both renewable and nuclear energy, as well as much more energy efficiency, in the next decade to prevent climate change from becoming irreversible.
23 April 2020
TIM YEO: Europe’s big plans for small modular reactors
by Energy Focus (The EIC)
A game-changer in this scenario may soon appear in the form of small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs can be sited in more varied locations, away from large grid systems, and can bring power to remote or less developed areas, or those where demand is too low to justify bigger plants.
7 November 2019
Costs and financing key to Europe's nuclear future
by World Nuclear News
Nuclear has a place in Europe's energy mix, but rising costs - even if only perceived - need to be addressed to ensure future growth, speakers agreed at the New Nuclear Watch Institute's (NNWI's) first annual forum, held in London.
6 November 2019
Nuclear energy has a key role to play in Europe's low-carbon future.
by Yves Desbazeille, FORATOM
The European Union is currently in the midst of an important transition period. After the European Parliamentary elections, the new European Commission is being formed with Mrs. Ursula von der Leyen at the helm.
6 November 2019
Nuclear power in a clean
energy system
by Peter Fraser, IEA
Nuclear power, along with hydropower, form the backbone of low-carbon electricity generation. Together, they provide three-quarters of global low-carbon generation.
6 November 2019
The crucial role nuclear will
play in a decarbonised world
by Alan Raymant, CGN UK
As the NNWI forum gathers in London we have to face a difficult truth: right now, nuclear is losing the battle when it comes to costs. The £92.50 per MWh price agreed for Hinkley Point C reflected the fact that this was a first of a kind project.
6 November 2019
What are we here for?
by Jeremy Gordon, Fluent in Energy
In any endeavour it is important to be clear about your motivations – the reasons ‘why’ you do what you do. Keeping these needs, values and principles in mind will guide your decision making and maintain your drive to reach the goal, whether it be large or small.
6 November 2019
Are we finally ready
to tackle climate with
both hands?
by Rauli Partanen, Think Atom
There has been no lack of stories, discussions and hashtags on the topic of climate urgency recently. And for good reason. Climate science’s message on the matter has been growing more and more serious, and ominous.
10 May 2019
TIM YEO: A green new deal for Europe
by New Europe
The Green New Deal launched recently by the Democrats is a welcome sign that some American politicians support urgent action to address climate change. The deal's aim of cutting carbon emissions by 60% by 2030 is very challenging.
26 October 2018
UK nuclear phaseout would be costly mistake, says think tank
by World Nuclear News
Electricity generating costs would rise by 15% and carbon emissions from the power sector would more than triple by 2030 if the UK were to abandon nuclear energy in favour of a mix of wind and gas, according to the New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI).
17 December 2020
NNWI report looks at nuclear’s role in hydrogen production
by Nuclear Engineering International
The UK-based New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI), an industry supported think-tank, has published a 28-page report “On the Role of Nuclear Power in the Development of a European Hydrogen Economy” NNWI says the scale-up of clean hydrogen production, along with the decrease in cost that will accompany it, is vital for the transition to a decarbonised energy system.
16 December 2020
Hydrogen policies must include nuclear, says NNWI
by World Nuclear News
Nuclear-produced hydrogen, using electrolyser technology, could have a "sizeable contribution" to make in the development of the hydrogen economy, according to a new report from the New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI) think-tank. However, it says the realisation of those benefits will depend on the adoption of technology-neutral policies, which do not discriminate against nuclear power.
2-3 December 2020
Unlocking Hydrogen Markets with Low-Cost Nuclear Production
by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
The purpose of this workshop was to share information and generate a discussion of collaborative prospects between the two industries to create new market opportunities, facilitate RD&D, and build mutually beneficial policy frameworks, all with the goal to mutually advance a clean energy future.
22 October 2020
New nuclear 'the most efficient way' to decarbonise grids, NNWI report finds
by World Nuclear News
A new report published today by New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI) concludes that new nuclear build is the most efficient way to achieve decarbonisation of the electricity grid, being able to reduce system carbon intensity by up to 34% per megawatt of installed capacity compared to intermittent renewables.
23 April 2020
TIM YEO: The nuclear option
by New Statesman
Former Member of Parliament for South Suffolk and current chair of The New Nuclear Watch Institute sets out the case for nuclear power as an integral part of the UK's energy mix. In the last century our scientists helped raise public understanding of the issue.
7 November 2019
We have to take cost risks on low-carbon projects
by David Blackman, Utility Week
The urgency of the climate crisis means that the world cannot wait for a decade or more to find out whether immature technologies - such as carbon, capture and storage - will work, the former chair of parliament’s energy and climate change committee has warned.
6 November 2019
Making the case for
nuclear in the energy mix
by Jonathan Cobb, World Nuclear Association
Global electricity demand is rising. Nearly a billion people lack access to electricity. Two billion more people will need electricity by 2050 as the global population expands.
6 November 2019
Economic benefits of nuclear
by Sue Ferns, Prospect
It is legitimate to expect our energy generators to provide good value for money for consumers, but we have been side-tracked into a narrow and sterile debate about price per MWh. We need a more rounded debate about the costs of investment in energy infrastructure overall.
6 November 2019
Cutting the costs of new
nuclear power plants
by Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, EDF Energy
Cross party support to introduce a legally binding net zero emissions target by 2050 has cemented the UK’s position as a leader in the fight against climate change. UK government has confirmed its commitment to low carbon nuclear electricity on the basis that the cost can be reduced.
6 November 2019
Nuclear may be well established, but it needs to make a strong case
by Adrian Pepper, Pepper Media Group
Atomic power has been with us in this country since Queen Elizabeth II switched on one of four magnox reactors at Calder Hall on 17 October 1956. Sixty-three years on, nuclear power accounts for a quarter of the UK’s and a tenth of the world’s overall power supply. Back then, the public was deeply divided as to the merits of atomic energy, with many people concerned.
28 October 2019
TIM YEO: Nuclear power is a reliable resource
by New Europe
It is encouraging when an authoritative energy expert like Professor Nick Butler, who has not been slow to criticise the nuclear industry in the past, declares that the operating lifetime of nuclear plants should be extended to facilitate the energy transition.
11 February 2019
TIM YEO: The role of nuclear in a low-carbon Europe
by Energy Focus (The EIC)
Europe is leading the world’s response to climate change. Challenging carbon emissions reduction targets are accelerating decarbonisation of many parts of the economy while reform of the European Union Emissions Trading System is boosting the price of EU carbon allowances.
27 October 2018
Electricity generation costs could rise by 15% without nuclear
by David Blackman, Utility Week
Abandoning nuclear power could drive up UK electricity generation costs by 15 per cent while more than tripling the amount of carbon produced per kWh by the power sector, according to a new report by the New Nuclear Watch Institute.