"Hard to Meet Power Demand with Wind, Solar, and Hydropower"
"Carbon Emissions Would More Than Double Without Nuclear Power"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] France's transmission system operator RTE has stated that the construction of new nuclear reactors is essential to achieve the 'carbon neutrality' goal of reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Since renewable energies such as wind, hydro, and solar power have become difficult to predict for electricity production due to climate change, nuclear power is once again emphasized as the only alternative energy that can support the current decarbonization policies. As the energy crisis in Europe deepens, many countries within the European Union (EU), in addition to France, have begun to fully revise their existing nuclear phase-out policies, and the European nuclear power market is expected to be revitalized.
According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 25th (local time), RTE emphasized the need for new nuclear reactor construction as a measure to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in its future energy strategy report titled 'Energy Future 2050.' RTE stated, "By investing 59 billion euros (approximately 80 trillion won) by 2060 to build 14 new large reactors and multiple small reactors, we can support electricity demand while achieving carbon neutrality."
It added, "France will need to handle additional electricity demand of more than 29 gigawatts (GW), about 13% of current electricity demand, by 2050. It is difficult to rely on wind, solar, and hydro power, whose production is unstable due to severe climate change. The energy sources that can meet this demand are either thermal power or nuclear power, but if this demand is met by thermal power, we would have to emit more than twice the carbon we do now," it emphasized.
The reason RTE stressed the necessity of nuclear power plant construction is believed to be due to concerns over power crises in neighboring countries such as Germany and Spain, which had increased their reliance on wind power. According to CNN, Germany and Spain recently increased their wind power shares to 22% and 20%, respectively, but this year, due to abnormal weather, the strength and frequency of winds in Europe decreased, reducing wind power generation by more than 20% compared to the previous year. Both countries have faced electricity shortages, causing electricity prices to rise sharply and increasing inflationary pressures.
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