Hyperscalers reignited interest in the 80-year-old #nuclear energy sector.
During my participation at the World Energy Congress, I had the chance to hear an outlook on #energytransition from nuclear power leaders in #France, #Japan, and #China.
The Argentinian Director General of the @IAEAvideo Rafael Mariano Grossi, highlighted the divergence of political stances at COP28. This led to an IAEA call for leadership to address safety, waste management, new technologies, and public perception.
A shift in generations is evident, with younger individuals showing a positive inclination towards nuclear power. Nonetheless, the future of nuclear energy is uncertain if the barriers hindering its growth are not addressed.
While the energy demand was expected, the interest from major tech companies in nuclear energy came as a surprise to the nuclear industry. Collaborating with #Microsoft and #Google, the IAEA discovered that data centers are significant energy consumers with the potential to disrupt power grids. Consequently, nuclear solutions are being tailored to meet the energy demands of data centers.
Although the shift in energy security perceptions has enhanced the outlook on nuclear energy, attracting talent for the future remains a significant challenge.
Naomi Hirose, the Chair of the Japan Energy Association and former CEO of @TEPCOofficial led the company during the #fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident that occurred after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Hirose offered an apology for the incident, acknowledging its impact on the reputation of nuclear energy. Despite being known for low emissions, reliability, stable baseload power, and a long operational lifespan, the Fukushima Daiichi accident reshaped the global discourse on nuclear power, leaving a lasting mark.
The aftermath of the Fukushima disaster led to significant changes in Japan and worldwide, with countries halting nuclear projects and a shift in public perception towards nuclear energy. Even after 13 years, public sentiment remains largely against nuclear power, with mass media portraying TEPCO and Hirose in a negative light.
In 2022, a poll revealed that 58% of respondents support restarting nuclear energy, a substantial increase from previous years' 20%. Hirose attributes this shift to concerns over energy security following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, negative media coverage has discouraged young people from pursuing nuclear engineering careers, despite the need for skilled professionals to manage nuclear power and address the issue of nuclear waste.
Hirose advocates for promoting #electrification as the most practical and effective approach to combating #globalwarming .
With the proliferation of #datacenter globally, nuclear power emerges as the optimal energy source. For instance, answering a single query on #ChatGPT consumes 2.9 watt hours, significantly more energy-efficient than traditional Google searches. Data centers allocate 45% of their energy for cooling and 30% for data processing, making nuclear energy a viable and sustainable solution for powering these essential facilities.
Laurence Piketty, Deputy General Administrator of the Paris-based @CEA the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, a key player in both civil and defense research in Europe with a 5 billion euro budget.
Piketty, a chemical engineer and physics Ph.D., discussed the recent shift in public support for nuclear energy over the past 2-3 years, leading to a resurgence in the nuclear industry. In 2022, Macron announced plans for France to construct 6 new nuclear power plants and potentially 8 more in the future, extend the lifespan of the current fleet, and implement programs for #smr and #AMR. EDF oversees 56 power plants that generate 70% of the country's electricity. The main challenge is to attract the next generation of nuclear power professionals.
A goal has been set to recruit 10,000 individuals annually, which is a significant increase from the current rate of 3,000 people per year, over the next decade.
China is rapidly and extensively developing nuclear power. Yu Jianfeng, the Chairman of @ChinaNationalNuclearCorp and a nuclear engineer, emphasized the significance of nuclear energy for China's shift away from coal-powered plants. Currently, half of China's energy is from clean sources, with plans to build 8-10 nuclear units annually to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. China aims to have 150GW of nuclear power by 2050 and 400GW by 2060. Presently, the energy capacity is substantial at 2.9 billion KW, with nuclear energy accounting for only 2% of this capacity. The total nuclear capacity in China is now comparable to that of the United States.
