The nuclear renaissance is here
Recent developments show a surging trend
We hear a lot about the supposed slow speed of nuclear energy, but what about the rapid turnaround of events regarding this technology over just the last few years? The world has seen rapid developments in the nuclear sector globally, with some countries entering the nuclear world for the first time, others becoming bullish about exporting their technology, and the bold Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy that was made at COP28 last year.
In just the last few months, there have been further leaps forward.
Development #1: The Czech Republic
Despite its Western neighbours, Austria and Germany, deciding to phase out nuclear energy altogether, Czech is doubling down on clean technology. Czech participated in the agreement to triple nuclear energy at COP28. The country already has six nuclear reactors, which generate more than a third of its electricity, but it plans to build more.Â
Things are moving quickly, with South Korea’s Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) just winning a tender to build two nuclear power plants in the country. This collaboration will provide a much-needed boost to European nuclear energy and expertise. KHNP has a track record of building power plants quickly and efficiently, at home and abroad, and the decision to employ standardisation by building two units simultaneously demonstrates that politicians are waking up and paying attention to how to build nuclear power plants efficiently.
Speaking of this week's tender decision, the Czech Industry and Trade Minister, Jozef Sikela, called nuclear energy "the pride of Czech energy production."
The two plants will meet around 30% of Czech electricity output, and the current aim is to increase that to 50%, sending a clear message to its non-nuclear neighbours: Czech-mate.
Development #2: Italy
Italy has completely reversed its position on nuclear energy. Now, thirty-five years after shutting down its last nuclear reactor, Italy plans to reintroduce nuclear energy by rebuilding its nuclear sector.
To reduce reliance on fossil fuels and strengthen energy security at home, Italy wants nuclear energy to meet 11% of the country's total electricity consumption by 2050. Although 6% of electricity consumed in Italy is currently from nuclear energy, this is imported from other countries.
Italy once had four operating nuclear power reactors, but the last two were shut down following the 1986 Chornobyl accident. Italy banned nuclear production in two referendums in 1987 and 2011, but the country's parliament reversed the nuclear ban last year. They’ve wasted little time in taking action: the energy ministry has been bringing together a committee of industrial experts to support an Italian supply chain for foreign nuclear power plants, and Italy's Edison, French nuclear reactor firm Framatome and Milan's Politecnico University have signed an alliance on nuclear energy, stating:
"The parties will pool their respective technical knowledge and expertise to jointly foster research, development and innovation activities for the nuclear sector."
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Enrico Fermi was born in Rome in 1901. His work harnessing the atom opened the door to new scientific and technological realms, and a power plant that was named after him now sits derelict in Trino, Italy, after being shut down following the 1987 Italian nuclear power referendum. Now, many decades later, nuclear energy is returning to Fermi’s homeland. Bella!
Development #3: Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan has been discussing nuclear energy for years and has now taken a major step in furthering its energy program ambitions. Kazakhstan is a major exporter of uranium and home to a major plant that makes nuclear fuel pellets, but it is also a significant producer of coal, crude oil, and natural gas, and coal dominates its energy mix.
Despite being a major exporter of electricity, Kazakhstan can see the way the wind is blowing and doesn't plan to be left behind. At a government briefing this week, the Minister of Energy, Almasadam Satkaliyev, announced that Kazakhstan will need at least three nuclear power plants to secure a reliable energy future.
Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant operated from 1973 to 1999, but since then, it has only operated four small research reactors and has lacked nuclear electricity production capabilities. Construction of the BN-350 fast breeder reactor at the Aktau nuclear power plant began in 1964, and the plant first produced electricity in 1973. Aktau was also the world's first nuclear desalination plant, and in addition to providing power for the city, Aktau once supplied 80,000 m³ of fresh water per day.
Kazakhstan will hold a referendum on nuclear energy this autumn. If citizens vote for a nuclear revival, it could launch the country into a new era of energy independence.
"If we're serious about developing our nuclear energy sector, we must plan for at least three sites. And that's only if the referendum gets the green light from the people," Satkaliyev has said.
Kazakhstan is considering several nuclear technology suppliers, including the Chinese company CNNC, South Korean KHNP, Russian Rosatom, and French EDF, to achieve this goal.
What happens next remains to be seen, but for once, world leaders appear to be making bold decisions and laying essential groundwork for new nuclear, instead of being led by the fear-mongering and activist rhetoric against clean energy.
What do these countries have in common? They once had nuclear programs and ambitions, which lay dormant or - in the case of Italy - were obliterated by anti-nuclear ideology. Now, countries that once contributed to the success of nuclear technology are returning to it and laying the crucial groundwork needed to ensure that new nuclear energy programs succeed.
It’s time to build. Who will get there first? The race is on.
There are indeed positive signs. The emerging builder who has an established reputation delivering on time and budget is indeed KHNP. They've done it on their all their last export projects, specifically including Barakkah in UAE and Qinshan Phase 3 near Shanghai.
Making news in Canada this week was the approval of a geologic used fuel facility in Ignace, Ontario. The decision was not even close: 77% of the town voted in favour, 21% opposed and 2% no opinion. And this came from more than 65% of eligible voters. This is enormous, as municipal elections here usually get only a 30% voter turnout.
Italy indeed walked away from nuclear power, and it's been regretting the decision ever since. As Zion noted, Italy is importing as much electricity as it can, mostly from French nuclear power plants. It cannot import any more because all of the transmission lines, both those from France and those from Switzerland, are fully loaded. So since Italy needs more electricity, it has no choice but to buy other people's oil, coal and gas. Italy has none of these resources of its own, so it has to pay a premium for any new electricity.
There is an important nuance with the decision by the Czech Republic. In previous years, it was heavily engaged in electricity exchanges with Germany. However, Germany has doomed itself to a situation of permanent and growing electricity shortages with Energiewende. So the Czechs must build more nuclear power to ensure they have electricity because Germany cannot be relied on for grid stability.
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