Nuclear Idustry's respose to EU Energy Green Paper

Following the recent publication by the European Commission of its much-awaited Energy Green Paper, Secure, Competitive and Sustainable Energy for Europe, and acting in response to requests from the press, FORATOM released the following position paper on the eve of ENA 2006:

FORATOM welcomes the emphasis that the EU’s recently-published Energy Green Paper, Secure, Competitive and Sustainable Energy for Europe, puts on a “transparent, objective and non-ideological debate” that assesses the merits of all energy sources. FORATOM also supports the view of EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, that political consensus must be reached if the strategy is to work. The Green Paper’s acknowledgement that all energy sources can contribute to ensuring sufficient generation capacity to meet demand is a welcome development. FORATOM also notes with satisfaction the Green Paper’s statement that nuclear energy ‘represents at present the EU’s largest source of largely carbon-free energy in Europe. ‘

However, although the general strategic direction of the Green Paper, and its emphasis on including all power sources in the energy debate, are encouraging, FORATOM is disappointed that the document failed to sufficiently highlight the crucial contribution that nuclear energy - as a source of secure, affordable and environmentally friendly energy - makes towards meeting the EU’s energy goals.

Furthermore, since one of the major objectives outlined in the Green Paper is for the Community to achieve “50% of its energy production from secure, low-carbon energy sources within 20 years,” FORATOM believes that the fact that nuclear energy was not mentioned within this context is very short-sighted. Clearly, nuclear energy is the only major energy source that can help achieve this objective and this fact should have been recognised.

As far as security of supply, competitiveness and environmental protection are concerned, which underpin the EU’s new energy policy direction, nuclear energy is the energy option of choice. But the Green Paper failed to mention this fact. It is time to set the record straight:

Firstly, Europe has never before produced so much nuclear-generated electricity. With most nuclear plants operating continuously with a capacity factor of 90%, the nuclear sector provides an excellent source of reliable and secure base-load power.

Secondly, the industry’s high capacity factor - coupled with the fact that prices for nuclear generated electricity are generally very stable and predictable compared to other generating sources - makes nuclear power very competitive.

Finally, as a non-C0₂ emitting source of power, nuclear energy also helps to combat climate change.

Public opinion continues to shift subtly in favour of retaining - and in some cases even expanding - the use of nuclear energy. For the first time, a significant number of European citizens are now making the connection between nuclear energy, security of supply and climate change.

There appears to be an illogical discrepancy between the Green Paper’s reluctance to recognise the important contribution that nuclear energy makes and the fact that a growing number of European countries are pressing ahead with the nuclear option. For example, some countries like the Netherlands and Belgium are already openly questioning the validity of their nuclear phase-out policies. Others, like Bulgaria, Finland, France and Romania are expanding their nuclear sectors. The Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia recently agreed on a project to build a nuclear power plant in Lithuania that will provide electricity for all three countries by 2015.

In conclusion, the Energy Green Paper constitutes an encouraging start, but there is a long way to go. FORATOM will continue to lobby the European Commission to ensure that the nuclear industry’s voice is heard loud and clear, that the facts about nuclear energy are presented and recognised, and that it is given a higher profile throughout the policy debate and in the resulting energy White Paper.

FORATOM’s press release on the Energy Green Paper is available in the “Press Room” (Press Releases) section of the FORATOM website at: www.foratom.org. In this section you can also read FORATOM position papers on a range of issues, including safety, security of supply and climate change.

The European Commission has launched an online questionnaire asking people to give their opinions on the Green Paper. If you want to make your views on it known, visit the European Commission’s website at the following address: link and fill in the questionnaire.