European leaders and nuclear specialists will push for a nuclear energy rebirth on Thursday at a summit in Brussels, hoping to restore the European sector after years of slow decline.
The political push to increase nuclear power, a low-carbon energy source, is part of Europe’s efforts to fulfil its ambitious climate goals. However, it confronts challenges such as a lack of investment and cost overruns and delays that have plagued recent projects.
Nuclear power fell out of trend in Europe due to safety concerns following Japan’s Fukushima nuclear tragedy in 2011, which forced Germany to quickly shut down six nuclear facilities and phase out its remaining reactors. The final one shut in April 2023.
However, the necessity for alternatives to Russian gas following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, as well as the European Union’s pledge to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, has reignited interest in nuclear power.
Source: Energy Ghana