Researchers from UNECE, the economic arm of the United Nations in Europe, have recalculated the CO2 emissions of nuclear power plants. They have come to the conclusion that European nuclear power stations are even more environmentally friendly, and therefore better for the climate, than was thought in 2014. In fact: they emit no less than half the CO2 than windmills! This makes nuclear energy by far the most climate-friendly form of energy generation.
UNECE has calculated how much CO2 emissions are released for each form of (renewable) energy. This concerns the total effect, a so-called “life cycle analysis”. “From the extraction and processing of the fuel, its transport to the power plant, its construction, maintenance, demolition, possible recycling of the power plant and the storage of the waste over its entire lifespan, expressed in grams of C02 per unit of power produced. (in kWh)”, reports VRT.be.
Nuclear reactors emitted an average of 12 grams of CO2 per kWh, UN researchers thought in 2014. Now that appears to be outdated, because if the choice is made to extend the life of a nuclear power plantDue to maintenance, the CO2 emissions per kWh amount to 5.1 grams. For comparison: windturbines emit an average of 12.5 grams per kWh; solar panels 20 grams; gas-fired power stations 430 grams (with captured CO2 130 grams) and coal-fired power stations 930 grams (with captured CO2 ‘only’ 280 grams). Anyone who really wants to save the climate argues in favor of building nuclear power plants!
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These new findings actually undermine just about all aspects of climate policy, because there is simply nothing that can compete with energy from nuclear power plants, if you are purely concerned with reducing CO2 emissions. You could even argue that thegreen‘Climate movements of the last century, which have always been so staunchly against nuclear energy, have actually exacerbated the climate problem. If at that time there had been full commitment to the construction and maintenance of nuclear power stations, then all those windmills and solar panels would not have been necessary at all, as they now turn out to be unnecessary. Even bureaucratic measures such as CO2 emission rights would never have been created!
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