Nuclear power is on the brink of a comeback. Having been out of favour in many parts of the world over the past decade, the technology is attracting interest again as a way of cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global nuclear power capacity would need to more than double, to 916 gigawatts by 2050, to meet the internationally agreed goal of net zero carbon emissions in that time.
But, at the COP28 global climate summit in Dubai, last December, more than 20 countries — including the US, Japan and the UK — agreed to work towards tripling nuclear power capacity by that same date. And, in his budget this month, UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed his government’s aim for nuclear to supply about a quarter of the nation’s electricity by 2050, up from about 14 per cent now.