NUCLEAR POWER POTENTIAL & BARRIERS

With a carbon price of $25/tCO2, nuclear electricity’s share of global electricity could increase from the current 16% to between 19% and 22% by 2050 (IEA, 2006). If that were the case, nuclear capacity would at least double by 2050 and nuclear power could be making a contribution of 6% to 10% to reducing global CO2 emissions to sustainable levels by mid-century.

Uranium reserves are large enough to support this expansion. But competitive costs and CO2 mitigation potential are not the only precondition for nuclear power’s expansion. Public acceptance, final waste management, safety issues and proliferation risk are important areas to further address and develop. If not addressed, nuclear power is unlikely to expand and its share in electricity generation might be dropping in the future. In most countries, the perception of investment risk is limiting private investment in nuclear power.

See nuclear power essentials by IAE.


Mis en ligne le 09/02/2008 par Pierre Ratcliffe. Contact: (pratclif@gmail.com) sites web http://paysdefayence.blogspot.com et http://pierreratcliffe.blogspot.com