I'm so busy following #nuclearenergy developments at #COP26 I've been too busy to tweet. (I know right?) I'm going to catch up through today with a thread of quotes I've picked up and stories I've filed. 👇
'Evolution' in EU nuclear debate
European industry body Foratom is hopeful that a new conversation around nuclear energy will bring the policy framework needed for it to make a major contribution to 2030 energy targets, a Moody's webinar heard.
Grossi 'absolutely confident' of nuclear's inclusion in EU taxonomy
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said he is "absolutely confident" that "some arrangement" will be made to accept nuclear energy in the EU's taxonomy of sustainable investment. world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Gross…
Birol calls for nuclear acceleration
Countries have "re-appreciated" the value of nuclear power, International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said at COP26 today. He called for new build in Europe, North America and Asia. world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Birol…
We consider that #nuclearenergy was, is and will be essential and fundamental for the energy transition. We will add 10 GW in the next 30 years.
~ Bento Costa Lima, Minister of Mines and Energy, Brazil at #COP26
Baseload can no longer be sustained by hydropower. We need other forms of energy to ensure baseload. The right way and probably the cleanest form of energy we have is #nuclearenergy. We are on the path to get us there
~ Matthew Opoku Prempah, Minister of Energy, Ghana at #COP26
We heard from Ghana. Once they have decided [their partner country and technology], all the world's #nuclearenergy operators stand ready to support them
~ Ingemar Engkvist, CEO, World Association of Nuclear Operators at #COP26
The holy grail is clean baseload power and really that is what nuclear provides
If we are going to get to net zero, nuclear absolutely has to be a very important piece of that
#Nuclearenergy pays back a lot to society. We should take a bigger view and in terms of thinking about the energy mix and how do you achieve baseload, how do you finance nuclear better
~ Greg Hands, Minister for Business Energy and Clean Growth, UK at #COP26
In 10 years, China added 40 new large reactors - enough to power 100% of the UK. That tells you that this is an enormously wise investment in clean infrastructure that will last probably 100 years
~ Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Association at #COP26
If we really want to keep track of the 1.5℃ goal we need to urgently deploy all the low carbon energy sources that are proven, and we need to do this now
~ Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General, World Nuclear Association at #COP26
The world is going through difficult times in terms of energy volatility. One unintended positive consequence of this market volatility is that some people have re-appreciated the value of #nuclearenergy
~ Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency at #COP26
If people believe our Net Zero Roadmap, we have to increase the pace of new build of #nuclearenergy plants by a factor of five. We would like to see new nuclear build from Europe, North America and Asia
Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency at #COP26
#Nuclearenergy has an integral role to play if we are serious about the climate challenge
~ Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency at #COP26
The conclusions, the scientific facts are clear: #nuclearenergy is part of the solution
The voice of nuclear had to be heard, is being heard and will be heard, I am sure
~ Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency at #COP26
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The headline: Wind and solar were the EU’s top electricity source in 2022 for first time ever
The reality: Wind and solar were the the EU's 4th and 6th biggest sources of electricity, respectively, in 2022
The data:
Nuclear: 21.93%
Gas: 19.17%
Coal: 14.55%
Wind: 13.42%
Hydro: 12.60%
Solar: 7.29%
Bioenergy: 5.88%
Other fossil: 3.55%
Other renewable: 0.24%
Source: EmberClimate itself
Being anti-nuclear is so passé now that nobody admits it. Now it's a shell game of groupings. Emberclimate combine nuclear and hydro to avoid having to admit nuclear is actually the biggest. Carbon Brief split them apart again so 'wind+solar' can 'beat' more individual sources.🚮
The situation at #Ukraine's #Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has gotten more volatile in recent days, with both sides in the conflict pushing the envelope of what they do at the site and even some shelling. I'm catching up, but here's what I know about it:
Since its occupation on 3 March the site has been in a very uneasy mode of operation with Russian forces controlling the site while Ukrainian technicians conduct operation under constant close scrutiny. It wasn't pretty but it was stable.
Recently Russia began stationing weapons around the site. Forces see it as a safe place from which to fire across the Dnipro River at Nikopol, while Ukrainians won't dare fire back. However, Ukraine has used small drones for targeted strikes on military kit on the plant grounds.
In March, Ukraine's electricity grid was synchonised with the main European grid, ENSTSO-E, so that other countries could help Ukraine keep the lights on during the war.
Electricity will flow from today, but it will go THE OTHER WAY with Ukraine alleviating shortages in the EU.
Ukrainian energy minister Herman Halushchenko said exports would start at 100 MW as ENTSO-E assesses the grid stability impact of that. But Ukraine could supply 1690 MW and, with technical upgrades, as much as 5000 MW.
It should a big help for other European countries to have more supply. And it should work well because timezones mean Ukraine's peak domestic demand will be 1-2 hours different to other countries'. It's also fairly clean, being about half from nuclear plants.
See here some previous tweets on why I (and others) think Acute Radiation Syndrome is unlikely, but that doing this is definitely 'not good' and could have health effects in the long term.
Some collected thoughts on what's going on with Russian troops in the #Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and whether they have gotten themselves sick 🧵
(Spoiler: No)
Earlier today the idea that Russian troops around #Chernobyl had developed Acute Radiation Sickness was going viral. I did this thread to explain why that struck me as highly unlikely.
There have been a lot of questions about nuclear issues in Ukraine since the war began. Here's a thread of my explanations if anyone wants to catch up.
[These are offered as what I put out at the time. I don't promise they are 100% complete or up to date.]
3 March
A run-down of nuclear power plant construction and essential safety systems in the context of troops approaching Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant