Nuclear energy is not a viable option for effective and affordable climate action
Paving the way to climate neutrality with renewable energies
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Nuclear energy will, at best, play a minor role in combating climate change. Renewable energies are the key technology for a global transformation of electricity generation to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is the conclusion reached in a new study by Oeko-Institut commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency. This study examines the role of nuclear energy in global energy scenarios and Germany's national energy plans and programmes, as well as with a view to costs, flexibility, climate risks and environmental impacts. It finds that despite comparatively low emissions over its entire life cycle, nuclear energy is not a suitable option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions quickly, reliably and cost-effectively.
Renewables are key to climate neutrality by 2050
The global energy scenarios analysed show that renewable energies are the decisive factor in achieving climate targets. Their share of electricity generation rises to between 70 and 100 per cent in the scenarios by 2050. The role of nuclear energy, by contrast, remains limited: depending on the scenario, its share in 2050 will be between zero and nine per cent. According to the study, even ambitious national plans will not lead to a global “renaissance” of nuclear energy.
The climate debate needs realistic options. New nuclear power plants are expensive, take a very long time to commission, and fit poorly into an energy system that will be heavily dominated by wind and solar energy in the future,” says Dr Christoph Pistner, Head of the Nuclear Technology & Plant Safety Division at Oeko-Institut. “Anyone who takes climate protection seriously must focus above all on technologies that are readily available, affordable and can be easily integrated into a renewable electricity system.
New nuclear power plants significantly more expensive than wind and solar energy
A key finding of the study concerns costs. New nuclear power plants have significantly higher levelised costs of electricity – that is, the cost of generating one kilowatt-hour of electricity over the entire lifetime of a plant – than renewable energies.
For example, the cost of nuclear energy in Europe for 2020 is between 15 and around 19 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is significantly higher than the average costs for generating photovoltaic or onshore wind energy. For 2030, the study expects costs for new nuclear power plants to rise even further, whereas significantly lower global average figures are expected for onshore wind energy and photovoltaics.
Nuclear energy is also an expensive option for reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to renewable energy sources. While renewable energy already offers cost-effective ways to reduce emissions today and in the future, new nuclear power plants remain a costly option due to high capital costs, long construction times and significant financial risks.
Nuclear energy is ill-suited to a sustainable energy system
Furthermore, nuclear energy is only of limited suitability for a future electricity system with a high proportion of renewable energy. Wind and solar energy generate electricity depending on weather conditions and the time of day. The future energy system therefore requires flexible plants that can balance out these fluctuations. Conventional nuclear power plants, due to their size, technical characteristics and economic requirements, rely on high capacity utilisation. Flexible operation would further increase their already high electricity generation costs.
Tripling nuclear energy by 2050 is unrealistic
The study also examines whether the goal set by some countries to triple global nuclear power capacity by 2050 is realistic. Such a threefold increase would require a net electricity capacity of 1,160 gigawatts by 2050. To achieve this, new capacity on the scale of the historical maximum of around 30 gigawatts would have to be connected to the grid every year on average over a 25-year period. By contrast, typically less than ten gigawatts of new capacity has been commissioned over the last 30 years, which shows that a tripling by 2050 is unrealistic.
“Our conclusion is that new nuclear power plants are too expensive and would not be ready in time to make a significant contribution to achieving existing climate targets,” said Pistner. “Renewable energies therefore remain the central pillar of a climate-neutral electricity system.”
Study: ‘Climate and environmental impact of nuclear power’
This study was conducted by Oeko-Institut Consult GmbH.
