The Fairy Tales of the Nuclear Lobby

Nuclear energy is good for the climate

Nuclear power plants are climate killers

Every euro that goes into a new nuclear power plant is missing for the sustainable implementation of an efficient climate policy. This aggravates the climate emergency. Investments must go into the development of renewable energies where they will avoid a lot of greenhouse gas emissions fast. New nuclear power plants fuel old problems.

Nuclear power is cheap

Nuclear power plants cost a lot of time and even more money!

Nuclear power is slow and expensive. Planning, approval and construction last for many years and the costs for new nuclear power stations is on the rise. Energy efficiency and renewable energies can be implemented in a few months. They are becoming cheaper and cheaper. Our climate needs fast & affordable solutions

Nuclear power plants do not pose a threat

Every nuclear power plant under cross hairs of terrorists turns into a weaupon!

Terrorist organizations have shown decisive interest into nuclear facilities and nuclear materials used for weaupons. We need to hope that their reach for fissile material remains unachievable. What if they attack a nuclear facility?

Nuclear energy is clean

Even after 70 years there is no safe place for disposal

In 1954 the first commercial nuclear reactor went online in the Sowjet Union. In Europe more than 60,000 tons of highly radioactive fission fuel are waiting for a safe place for eternity. Up to today there is no functional final disposal site for nuclear material. Nuclear energy goes away but the nuclear waste remains.

We can not renounce from nuclear energy

Nuclear energy does not even supply 2% of the global energy needs!

Renewable energies have supplied more energy than nuclear in 2019. The latter can provide no more than 2% of globally usable energy. Nuclear power has maneuvered itself into the out.

Nuclear energy is living through a renaissance

Nuclear power dies out!

One year before the Tschernobyl catastrophy 33 nuclear power plants went online. In 2020 it were only five. At the same time six nuclear plants were retired forever. R.I.P. nuclear power

Either get out of nuclear or out of coal – both at the same time is not manageable

We can do without nuclear and coal!

Germany shows us the way: They leave the coal and nuclear era behind them. Energy production from coal has dropped even more than that from nuclear. The exit is balanced by renewable energies and a coincident reduction of the energy consumption. The parallel exit from nuclear and coal has already started.

The operational period of nuclear power plants can be extended without remorse

Runtime extenstions are dangerous!

Although most nuclear power plants have been built for a lifespan of 30 up to 40 years their average age lies at about 35 years in the European Union. Quality and reliability of the components is degrading continually. This turns power plants increasingly accident-sensitive. Longer operational periods imply a higher risk.

We can not afford to turn off nuclear power plants

Runtime extensions will be expensive!

Servicing old nuclear power plants is expensive. The off times for repair become increasingly longer and are harder to forsee – and it costs. The French operator EDF would need to invest a 100 billion euro to retrofit old nuclear plants up to 2030. The risk of a severe accident will rise nonetheless. Everything else than an investment into the future.

Small nuclear power plants are the future

Nothing but hot air!

As the big nuclear power plants are too expensive, too big and too slow, the nuclear industry is advertising for smaller modular plants. However these plants are uneconomically and can not cope with the versatile competition of renewable energies. for nuclear power plants: better none, not even small ones, supplemented by SN/elstel.org: The so called small nuclear power plants do not exist yet and once they should be fully devised they won´t be more economic than big power plants.

nuclear is the preferred choice for new power plants

Nuclear power is outshined by Wind and Solar!

Energy companies, industry and investors are relying on renewable energies worldwide. China is the last country that has massively invested into nuclear power since 2000. However even there nuclear power is a niche product. Nuclear power has simply become irrelevant.

Nuclear power plants supply energy reliable and plannable

Old nuclear power plants have increasing off-times

In Belgium there are seven nuclear power plants with an age of about 40 years. In 2018 they had an off-time of more than 180 days where they did not contribute to the national energy production. Even for France it can not be said when which power plant will supply energy. The production from renewable energies has become ever more better predictable.

Fukushima was a worst case disaster

Fukushima was not a worst case disaster!

Earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident did constitute a three-fold catastrophy displacing more than 150,000 people. However a real worst case disaster would have had even more pernicious consequences: It would have displaced 50 million people. Only by good fortune it has not come that far. However this is something we should not rely on.

The only newly built nuclear reactor of the new model EPR in Flamanville, France is already exceeding its cost from 3.3 billion Euro to 12.4 billion. Electricity from nuclear energy does currently cost 17¢/kWh while the cost for wind and solar is currently at 4-9¢/kWh (2021).