Nuclear Power: A Greener, More Efficient Path to Net Zero

The need to reduce CO2 emissions has been a climate priority for decades. Many options have emerged over the years, renewable and non-renewable, like natural gas, wind turbines, solar panels, hydroelectric power plants... and nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy has always been the subject of great controversy due to two main reasons, the enormous potential health threat as seen in the two nuclear catastrophes in history (Chernobyl and Fukushima) and the management of uranium waste. 

The outbreak of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has shed light on the need for Europe for less dependency on Russian gas. 

Belgium recently decided to extend the operation of two of its existing nuclear reactors from 2025 to 2035, covering approximately 15% of the country's electricity demand. Finland completed the construction of Olkiluoto 3, the first new nuclear reactor in Western Europe in 15 years, in 2023. In 2022, France agreed to build six new large nuclear reactors, estimated to cover around 10% of the electricity demand, with an option to build eight more, with the first expected to come stream in 2035. The same year, in Poland, the cabinet formally approved the use of three Westinghouse AP1000 units (pressurized water method with an improved passive nuclear safety system) for the country's first nuclear plant will), while small modular reactors (SMRs) continue to gain traction in the private sector. 

In this context, nuclear power has become more relevant than ever. Since 2022 many projects have been initiated to rely on the most powerful energy production with the smallest carbon footprint compared to other non-renewable.  For example, 1 kg of uranium contains the same amount of energy as 2.7 million kg of coal, with the incredible difference in CO2 emissions that this entails. The CO2 generated by burning natural gas is 0.185 kg/kWh and uranium produces 0.001kg of CO2 per kWh. It is inclusive lower than solar Panels (0’041kg of CO2 per kWh) and wind turbines( 0’011kg of CO2 per kWh)

EN ISO 19443:2022 ‘Quality management’, published in 2022, supports the goal, of implementing a standardized management system that ensures the procurement of nuclear energy by procedures that guarantee the safety of all those involved, from the beginning to the end of the process.   

  In 2022, society was not only concerned with the management systems of the nuclear power plants but also with the materials to be used. They ensure that the sources of the materials comply with strict quality verification processes, ensuring that the catastrophes that had previously occurred. Additionally, ISO/TS 23406:2024 ‘Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of quality management systems for organizations supplying products and services important to nuclear safety’ was implemented, and ISO/TS 23406:2024 ‘Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of quality management systems for organizations supplying products and services important to nuclear safety’. 

Finally, in 2024, ISO 12183:2024 ‘Nuclear fuel technology’ was published, which goes further in the process of improving the application and growth of nuclear power plants, ensuring a minimum plutonium concentration, which will lead to a reduction in the dangerousness of the radioactive ‘threat’ of nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power plants are a reference in the future of today's energy, which, despite being non-renewable, has an efficiency that no other non-renewable energy source will ever achieve. 

Waste, although extremely minor, must be very well managed due to its environmental danger. 

This makes it a very real option for the ‘Net Zero’ objectives of today's society.