Level Playing Field for Low Carbon Nuclear Power

The 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power 2023, organized by the IAEA, reached its conclusion in Vienna.

IAEA Climate Change Conference Ends with Appeal for ‘Level Playing Field’ for Low Carbon Nuclear Power

_{IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi delivers his statement at the Second International Conference on Climate Change and the role of Nuclear Power 2023: Atoms4NetZero, held in Vienna, Austria this week. (Photo: D. Calma/IAEA)}

The 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and the Role of Nuclear Power 2023, organized by the IAEA, reached its conclusion in Vienna today, calling for a “fair and equitable playing field” in energy policies and access to financial resources to fully realize the potential of nuclear power in the pursuit of climate change mitigation and energy security objectives.

The conference was presided over by Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and saw a week of extensive discussions, featuring the active participation of nearly 550 attendees from 81 countries and 26 invited organizations.

Attendees reached a consensus on the crucial role of nuclear energy in addressing climate change while acknowledging the substantial challenges that need to be overcome to enable its large-scale deployment, as underscored by authoritative global studies highlighting the necessity of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

In his summary of the conference’s outcomes, Mr. Alkaabi emphasized the imperative need to advocate for a level playing field for nuclear energy, encompassing both policies and financial access.

This approach would enable nuclear technology to benefit from favorable conditions similar to those that propelled the large-scale adoption of renewable energy technologies over the past decade.

The conference emphasized the importance of long-term energy policies, innovative electricity market structures, and technology-neutral sustainable finance frameworks, recognizing nuclear energy’s contributions to energy system reliability, flexibility, and decarbonization.

At the commencement of the conference, the IAEA unveiled its latest annual outlook for the future of nuclear power, which has been revised upward for the third consecutive year. The optimistic scenario projects a more than twofold increase in installed nuclear capacity by 2050.

This projection aligns closely with figures recently published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) concerning nuclear power’s indispensable role in fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement, particularly limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.

Read Also>> The New Data of Climate Change

Currently, 31 countries are operating nuclear power facilities, accounting for over nine percent of the world’s electricity supply and a significant share of clean electricity production. Another 30 countries are in the process of initiating or exploring the introduction of nuclear power, with the IAEA providing support for these endeavors.

“We have reached a consensus on the critical role of nuclear energy in meeting climate objectives. This consensus emphasizes the secure long-term operation of existing nuclear power plants in established nuclear markets, the swift deployment of proven large-scale reactors, and the pressing need to introduce Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to the market as soon as possible.

SMRs, particularly in replacing fossil plants of comparable size, including their application in emerging nations and non-electric uses, are of paramount importance,” stated Mr. Alkaabi.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to host COP28, the United Nations’ primary climate change conference, commencing next month in Dubai. For the second consecutive year, the IAEA will host a pavilion at COP, highlighting the pivotal role of nuclear energy in mitigating and adapting to climate change.

“During COP this year, nations utilizing nuclear energy will gather at the IAEA’s global gathering point to reaffirm their commitment to using, sustaining, and expanding the contribution of nuclear energy to the energy mix,” noted the IAEA Director General in his opening remarks at this week’s conference.

The conference commenced with a keynote address from Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, who underscored that the progress in nuclear power is currently lagging.

Read Also>> Climate Conundrum: Separating Fact from Fiction

He pointed to Europe, where nuclear power provided 30% of electricity two decades ago but is expected to decline to about 15% unless national policies change. Mr. Birol highlighted the implications of this shift for Europe’s electricity security and the challenges posed in the fight against climate change.

Apart from supplying clean and reliable electricity around the clock, nuclear power holds the potential to significantly reduce emissions in industries, transportation, and buildings – the so-called hard-to-abate sectors responsible for 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

It can provide process heat for industries like cement and steel production, produce clean hydrogen for various applications, offer district heating for buildings, and contribute to addressing the growing global demand for fresh drinking water by reducing the carbon footprint of desalination.

“Nuclear power is the sole technology capable of producing, at a significant scale, the three essential low-carbon energy forms required to achieve a net-zero future: electricity, heat, and hydrogen,” Mr. Alkaabi emphasized. “Regrettably, there exists a substantial disconnect between the capabilities of nuclear technology and how its potential is portrayed in climate scenarios that inform policymakers.”

To aid governments and financial institutions in making data-driven, science-based investment decisions for future energy systems, the IAEA launched the Atoms4NetZero initiative last year.

Collaborating with various partners, this initiative aims to offer a comprehensive energy scenario modeling service that highlights the full potential of nuclear power in achieving net zero emissions, encompassing non-electric applications such as hydrogen production.

The week-long conference featured ten high-level panels, a high-level segment, a special session, 18 technical sessions, and seven side events organized by different stakeholders.

These panels centered on nuclear power’s role in the global transition to clean energy, strategies to unlock its full potential, and the mobilization of various stakeholders, including women and young generation groups, to facilitate a global dialogue on nuclear energy as a sustainable low-carbon energy source.