Nuclear energy’s big comeback
Max Fressonnet: There is a growing consensus around nuclear energy. Nuclear phaseout is no longer an imperative advocated by organizations historically opposed to nuclear energy: it is the phaseout of fossil fuels that is becoming the priority. Nuclear energy is increasingly defended as a transitional energy apparently indispensable over the coming decades.
Philippe Knoche: Nuclear energy is much more than a transitional energy. It's an energy with fresh potential. Over the last three years, at the initiative of climate experts and the International Energy Agency, there has been genuine understanding of the challenges surrounding the decarbonization of energy production and the need for a balance between intermittent renewables, hydroelectricity and nuclear energy. This has led countries like Belgium to postpone their nuclear phaseout. In France, public opinion is increasingly turning in favor of nuclear energy. President Macron’s announcement of the construction of six new EPRs followed by eight more under review, as well as the extension of the life of existing reactors, marks a turning point. We are at the dawn of a new era.
Max Fressonnet: While I understand that nuclear energy is an energy of the future, there are conflicting messages flying around regarding the Flamanville project, for example. And there are still concerns about waste management.
Philippe Knoche: Flamanville is indeed a challenging project. But it’s a pilot project and the industry has learned a lot from it. Remember that the EPR reactor in Finland has just started production, as have other EPRs in China. As for waste, that’s an important thing to talk about. Contrary to popular belief, we know how to manage it, i.e., isolate it from people and the environment.
We also know how to reduce the volume of the most radioactive waste, store it safely and recycle up to 96% of used fuel. High-level radioactive waste adds up to less than 200 m3 per year, or the weight of one 20 cents of euros per person. We must make progress in education to show how we're capable of reducing the quantity of waste and containing it safely.
