Skip to content

Renewable Energy

Why fickle wind power wins out over nuclear

by Martin Leggett 10 May 2011
Why fickle wind power wins out over nuclear

Yesterday’s report from the UK's Climate Change Committee (CCC) - a review of the options for moving the UK's energy sector to a low-carbon future - was certainly a bold stab at tackling the global warming hydra.

Unfortunately, whilst the boldness of the vision in the slaying the beast was certainly there, the tools the CCC put at the government's disposal were severely lacking. A nuclear power 'renaissance' was laid out as the weapon of choice, with the review putting forward a favored scenario that has 40% of power generation coming from nuclear by 2030.

That would be a huge mistake. Such a reliance on the double-edged sword of nuclear power is a possibly fatal encumbrance in the fight against climate change.

The reason lies in the specter of a radioactive disaster, which has hung over the whole enterprise of 'power from the atom' since its start, under the shadow of Hiroshima. That danger was pointedly re-sharpened in the global mind, by Japan's multiple nuclear blowouts at Fukushima two months ago.

But the danger is not so much the fear of a repeat of the Fukushima scenario in the UK - earthquakes and tsunamis are not legion in north-west Europe - but more the mushrooming costs needed to banish that fear from the nuclear power equation. Whilst the pro-nuclear is happy to point out that problems with the old Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) at Fukushima couldn't possibly happen with the modern Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), it is the cost of iron-cladding that certainty that is killing the nuclear option.

The third-generation nuclear power plants being proposed as the backbone of the low-carbon economy have seen their costs rocket - they are now pushing the $10 billion mark, for a typical 2-reactor installation. And those costs are rarely fixed - a study looking at the historical costs of building nuclear power plants shows that cost overruns can hit 2 to 4 times the original estimates.

Those cost worries are made worse by the fact that nuclear power is not renewable. Modern reactors require uranium, and any large-scale push to ramp up nuclear power is going to make uranium ore increasingly rare - and expensive. Add to that the still unsolved problem of how to deal with radioactive waste, that needs to be kept safe for thousands of years, and the idea mooted in the CCC review - that nuclear power is ''likely to be the lowest-cost low-carbon technology'' - seems to be based on the rosiest of projections.

In comparison, the costs of wind power - a relatively small-scale (but scalable) easy-science and low-carbon solution - are only likely to fall as investment piles in. Yes, wind power is fickle, as is solar, dependent on the vagaries of the weather. But that is why major investments in smart grids, electric storage solutions and Europe-wide mega-grids, to even out renewable energy's erratic energy flow, is essential. Pouring more money into the dubious talisman of nuclear power will only result in the climate-change hydra growing ever more heads.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping