[The Editors' Verdict] Europe Weighs Nuclear Power in the Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality

Despite the cold wave hitting after 41 years, the excitement for the 20th presidential election is steadily heating up. It is clear that nuclear power will once again be a key policy issue in this election. The opposition party’s presidential candidate is expected to scrap the current administration’s nuclear phase-out policy and actively promote the use of nuclear energy. On the other hand, the ruling party’s candidate seems poised to maintain a cautious stance on nuclear power, advocating for a reduction in nuclear energy usage. The debate over nuclear power is intense not only in South Korea but also in Europe. This is because carbon neutrality is just around the corner, not the election.

Europe is leading the charge in carbon neutrality. In July, the European Union (EU) enacted a climate law that mandates achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The EU’s baseline year for carbon emissions is 1990. When drafting the climate law, the target for reducing carbon emissions by 2030 was raised from 50% to 55% compared to 1990 levels. Sweden has legislated carbon neutrality by 2045, and countries like France and Germany have also enshrined carbon neutrality in their domestic laws. These institutional and financial supports for implementing carbon neutrality are called the Green Deal. To receive support from the Green Deal, eligibility must be recognized. The system that determines eligibility is called taxonomy. Being included in the taxonomy means being eligible for the benefits of the Green Deal.

Europe must decide whether to include nuclear power in the taxonomy. Among the 27 EU countries, 12, including France, support its inclusion. Five countries, including Germany and Austria, which lead the nuclear phase-out movement, oppose it. The decision on whether to include nuclear power in the taxonomy was originally scheduled for the end of June but was postponed to the end of the year, then a draft was announced at year-end, and the final decision was delayed again until early next year.

Nuclear power was excluded from the Green Deal support targets when the EU first announced the plan in January last year. However, many Eastern European countries began promoting nuclear power plants to achieve carbon neutrality, and Western European countries also started reconsidering nuclear power as they faced limitations in achieving carbon neutrality solely through renewable energy. As a result, the European Joint Research Centre presented an analysis in April this year showing that the risks of nuclear power are not greater than those of other energy sources, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concluded that nuclear power meets the UN’s sustainability goals. The UN also evaluated nuclear power as an economical and clean energy source that can contribute to humanity. Supported by this background, nuclear power is expected to be included in the revised taxonomy.

Meanwhile, South Korea excluded nuclear power and included gas in its Green Taxonomy draft announced in June. The reason was that gas emits less greenhouse gases than coal. Europe is expected to include both nuclear power and gas in the revised taxonomy. However, gas must capture carbon and emit at least 40% less greenhouse gases than current gas power generation. Germany, which cannot rely on nuclear power due to its phase-out policy, is strongly advocating for the inclusion of gas. Since nuclear power is a more suitable energy source for carbon neutrality than gas, if Europe includes gas, nuclear power is also likely to be included. This is why South Korea should not stubbornly exclude nuclear power.

The controversy surrounding taxonomy arises because carbon neutrality cannot be achieved by renewable energy alone. South Korea faces a more challenging environment to realize carbon neutrality than Europe. If Europe includes nuclear power in the taxonomy, the nuclear power market is expected to take off, starting with Eastern Europe. Considering carbon neutrality and the nuclear power market, nuclear power should not be a subject of election debate. I urge presidential candidates to establish a carbon neutrality taxonomy that faces reality and pursues practical benefits.

Jung Dong-wook, Professor, Department of Energy Systems Engineering, Chung-Ang University