World Could Have 1,400 Reactors By 2050, Echávarri Tells ENC 2010
Written by NucNet
Monday, 31 May 2010
As many as 1,400 nuclear reactor units could be in commercial operation around the world by 2050, although whether this figure is realised will depend partly on the performance of the nuclear industry itself, a conference has been told.
Luis Echávarri, director-general of the Paris-based Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), told the European Nuclear Conference (ENC) in Barcelona, Spain, that the industry has tremendous opportunities, but also tremendous challenges to do things well.
In a keynote speech today he said the NEA foresees a minimum of 600 reactor units in commercial operation by 2050, but 1,400 is “a realistic upper limit”.
He pointed out that in the 1970s and 1980s around 25 units were being built a year, so raising that number to around 55 is within reach.
Other factors that will influence the number of reactors that are built include electricity demand, the cost of oil and gas and the price of CO2. The three main drivers between what is “a promising future” for nuclear are security of supply, economics and environmental protection, Mr Echávarri said.
One of nuclear’s advantages is that it is a highly competitive option for the production of baseload electricity. He highlighted the findings of a recent International Energy Agency and NEA report which showed “nuclear delivers significant amounts of very low-carbon baseload electricity at stable costs over time”.
He said last week there were 57 reactors being planned or under construction around the world, but that number had now risen to 61 because of plans to construct four units in Turkey. He said Vietnam was also close to signing a deal to start a nuclear energy programme.
ENC 2010, organised by the European Nuclear Society in cooperation with the Spanish Nuclear Society, is being held in Barcelona from 31 May-2 June.
