The communications around nuclear at the moment are fascinating. I think we are really witnessing a massive PR campaign trying to take advantage of the war in Ukraine.
Everyone is talking about the gas imports from Russia, while nobody talks about oil imports which are not very different (using todays prices the EU imported around 300 billion euro worth of gas and 62 billion worth of oil in 2021. They are obviously over estimates because I used last year's volumes with todays prices).
On top of that many publications talk as if electricity from other sources could easily replace gas, which is also incorrect. Germany which is often criticised generates less than 10% of electricity from gas, similar to France who are the nuclear poster child (that is because gas and nuclear are used for different purposes). Most of the gas in Germany is used for heating and industrial processes.
On top of that we see articles (this isn't the first) who try to reframe the question of energy consumption around land use, which is a complete red hering, designed to make nuclear look more advantageous.
Finally, nobody talks how the situation at the Zaporizhzhia is an illustration of the significant security implications of nuclear. I mean Europe has not been this close to a nuclear disaster in more than 30 years and people arguing we should build more nuclear plants?
Everyone is talking about the gas imports from Russia, while nobody talks about oil imports which are not very different (using todays prices the EU imported around 300 billion euro worth of gas and 62 billion worth of oil in 2021. They are obviously over estimates because I used last year's volumes with todays prices).
On top of that many publications talk as if electricity from other sources could easily replace gas, which is also incorrect. Germany which is often criticised generates less than 10% of electricity from gas, similar to France who are the nuclear poster child (that is because gas and nuclear are used for different purposes). Most of the gas in Germany is used for heating and industrial processes.
On top of that we see articles (this isn't the first) who try to reframe the question of energy consumption around land use, which is a complete red hering, designed to make nuclear look more advantageous.
Finally, nobody talks how the situation at the Zaporizhzhia is an illustration of the significant security implications of nuclear. I mean Europe has not been this close to a nuclear disaster in more than 30 years and people arguing we should build more nuclear plants?