Delivery of the UK’s net-zero goals requires a vast increase in the production of zero-carbon electricity, hydrogen and district heating. Nuclear can make a vital and commercially viable contribution to the rapid scale-up of these energy vectors, write Dr Paul Nevitt, technical director of the Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme at the National Nuclear Laboratory, Kirsty Gogan and Eric Ingersoll, managing directors at LucidCatalyst, and Scott Milne, head of insights at Energy Systems Catapult.
Perspectives 21 July 2021
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After falling by about 1% in 2020 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, global electricity demand will increase by 5% in 2021 and 4% in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency. However, almost half of this increase will be from fossil fuels - notably coal - threatening to push CO2 emissions from the power sector to record levels in 2022. Nuclear power generation is forecast to grow by around 1% in 2021 and by 2% in 2022.
Energy & Environment 15 July 2021
Foratom has welcomed the European Commission's proposed Fit for 55 to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies 'fit' for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, but says the target leaves open key questions. How will be this transition financed? Will we have enough low-carbon energy to meet our needs? How can we ensure that industries are able to decarbonise their manufacturing processes whilst remaining competitive? And how can we mitigate potential social impacts (e.g. job losses and energy poverty)?
Energy & Environment 15 July 2021