For the first time in eight years, countries are contemplating giving nuclear stations carbon credits in the run-up to the crucial world summit on in December. This could greatly boost prospects of a global nuclear expansion.
Draft text currently under negotiation at by 182 countries in Bonn, Germany, includes an option to make nuclear facilities eligible for funding from 2012 under two schemes meant to help poorer countries develop low-carbon technologies: the (CDM) and Joint Implementation.
Nuclear power was excluded from these schemes under the in 2001, after opposition from European and developing countries. Now the nuclear industry is hoping to overturn that, and open the door for funding to flow to nuclear stations across the developing world.
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鈥淭he whole world will benefit if we can encourage developing countries to meet their rapidly increasing energy needs through low-carbon technologies like nuclear energy, drawing on international support,鈥� says Jonathan Cobb, from the (WNA).
New figures from the association reveal that the amount of nuclear electricity generated globally in 2008 was the lowest for five years because of a number of decommissions. The WNA is, however, expecting a 鈥渘ew wave of nuclear build鈥� after 2012.
鈥楽afety and security issues鈥�
But, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a survival strategy for the nuclear industry not the planet鈥�, according to Shaun Burnie, a nuclear energy consultant and former Greenpeace campaigner: He estimates that carbon credits could cut the capital cost of building new nuclear stations by up to 40%.
Climate change experts are cautious. , director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester and East Anglia universities in the UK, has 鈥渟erious reservations鈥� about the CDM. However, he thinks that nuclear power should be considered 鈥減rovided safety and security issues are satisfactorily addressed鈥�.
, director of a project on international climate agreements at Harvard University, argues that a 鈥渃arefully designed鈥� provision to include nuclear power could be 鈥渉elpful鈥� in combating climate change. 鈥淏ut the promotion of nuclear power also brings with it a host of other environmental concerns,鈥� he says.
