6.8 Nuclear power

Nuclear power is a mature technology and a low-carbon energy source. In contrast to the variable output of wind turbines and solar PV it produces a continuous supply of electricity. In 2023 it supplied about 9% of the world’s electricity, and about one seventh of that of the UK (Energy Institute, 2024).

Can nuclear power make a major future contribution to reducing world CO₂ emissions? Opinions are divided. Its role may be limited for several reasons:

• Resource limitations on the potential supply of uranium fuel for conventional ‘burner’ reactor designs. This problem could be solved by the development of fast breeder reactors. However, these involve the separation of plutonium, which could (but not easily) be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. This may thus be a technically feasible solution but one that may be politically unacceptable.
• Environmental objections to its use, particularly for the lack of a demonstrated policy for the long-term storage of nuclear waste.
• Unfavourable economics. Nuclear power has not seen the dramatic cost reductions of wind or solar power since 2010. In Europe, two reactors under construction, Olkiluoto 3 in Finland and Flamanville 3 in France, have suffered from long delays and cost overruns.

The IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 scenario requires a doubling of world nuclear generated electricity by 2040, which would only maintain its percentage contribution to global electricity at 9%. Other scenarios for both the UK and the world (for example Teske, 2019) see a complete phase-out of nuclear power in the future, with a concentration on renewable energy.