The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and the Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety Committee objected with 76 votes to 62 votes to the European Commission’s (EC) proposal to label specific nuclear and gas energy ‘green’.
In January 2022, the EC proposed of classifying natural gas and nuclear energy with certain criteria as “sustainable investments“, as backed by the EU taxonomy. However, the proposal had divided the EU, with several countries, such as Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg actively opposing it. As France gets about 70% of its electricity from nuclear power, it has clearly shown its support with the help of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
“Nuclear power is neither ‘green’ nor sustainable. I cannot understand the decision of the EU.”- Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer via Twitter.
Natural gas is a fossil fuel that forms when layers of organic matter decompose in anaerobic conditions underground with tremendous heat and pressure for millions of years. However, it is believed to be the cleanest non-renewable energy source and has been commonly adopted for heating, cooking, and generating electricity.
Nuclear energy, though has occasionally suffered from unforgiving disasters in the past, it has been well accepted as a consistent, reliable and carbon-free energy. It holds the reputation of requiring less maintenance and can run for longer periods before requiring refueling.
Current emissions
Natural gas currently provides 24% of the EU’s energy. The current Ukraine-Russia crisis has become a wake-up call for European leaders to seek alternatives, and have recently agreed to purchase 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of liquified natural gas (LNG) per year from the U.S. until 2030. The shift to American gas would however be an excellent choice for the environment, as the emissions associated with supply chains from the U.S. could be up to 50% lower than those from Russian pipeline gas.
Compared to coal, natural gas emits about half the amount of CO2, and is 15-20% cleaner than gasoline when burned. According to MET Group, natural gas emits about 53 kg of CO2 per million British thermal units (Btu) of energy.
The EU’s biggest emitter, Germany is strongly against the nuclear energy since the Fukushima incident and has already declared to close down remaining nuclear plants by the end of 2022. However, nuclear energy holds the record of being less harmful for the environment.
When a single nuclear power plant with a capacity of one gigawatt replaces coal, it reduces CO2 emissions by 7–8 million tonnes per year. Nuclear power emits only 2–6 g of CO2 per kWh of electricity produced across the whole fuel cycle, which is two orders of magnitude less than coal, oil, and natural gas.
Nuclear produces about the same amount of CO2-equivalent emissions per unit of energy as wind, and one-third of the emissions per unit of power when compared to solar over the course of its life cycle. According to an article on CarbonBrief, each kWh of power generated over the lifespan of a nuclear plant emits 4 g of CO2 equivalent (gCO2e/kWh). The footprint of solar is estimated to be about 6 gCO2e/kWh.
‘Green’ natural gas and nuclear energy
By 2030, the EU has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55% below 1990 levels, and reach net-zero by 2050. As leaders were shifting their attention to renewable energy, the COVID pandemic happened and has led them to the priorities of compensating their economic downturn.
With the renewable clean energy sources not being suitable for short-term supply, the EC argued that the EU taxonomy’s rulebook has allowed the certain economic activities of nuclear energy and natural gas as efficient solutions.
Natural gas investments will be considered environmentally friendly if power facilities are powered with low-carbon or renewable gases, such as biomass or hydrogen produced with renewable energy, and emit less than 270 g of CO2 equivalent per kWh.
The emissions from these energy sources should be comparable to other renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and produce minimum to no environmental harm.
Furthermore, nuclear power plants should have pre-planned locations to dispose of radioactive waste safely and must manage them effectively without posing a high risk of environmental degradation.
Although the proposal had divided the EU members, some countries claimed that the energy sector will be even worse for the environment if this option is not considered. The idea of nuclear power immediately replacing fossil fuel plants, and avoiding the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation, has been an attractive solution for pro-nuclear countries.
However, still hunted by Chernobyl and Fukushima incidents, it would be difficult for some to have an agreement on any risk associated with nuclear plants.
What about renewable?
Experts believe that renewable energy sources, which will play an increasingly important role in the mix of power generation throughout the next century, have been the only viable alternative to fossil fuels. However, although various research and technological transformations are being carried out in renewable energy systems, they are not yet capable of replacing fossil fuels any time soon.
Even while wind and solar electricity are getting more affordable to build, we still lack the technology to store their energy for a long period. Higher construction costs may cause financial institutions to view renewables as riskier, making it more difficult for utilities and developers to justify their investments.
At the moment, renewable energy sources are seen as fundamentally “uncontrollable” sources of supply. Shade, clouds, and dust for solar power, and mild breezes for wind power, all reduce energy production from renewable assets to the levels below the installed capacity. On average, the capacity factor of solar ranges anywhere from 10-30%. For wind, it ranges from 20-50%. Nuclear plants have about a 90% capacity factor.
Dominion Energy, a leading power and energy company believes natural gas will be used indefinitely because wind and sun are too unstable. The company also hesitates to invest in energy storage, claiming that buying batteries to power the system when there isn’t enough solar or wind would be too expensive.
While the world needs its reliance on renewable energy capacity and not wait until the worst effects of climate change could be observed, renewable energy is still too volatile to make a significant contribution to large-scale electricity generation and is not yet ready to replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy.
What happens next?
The parliament will vote during the plenary session of 4-7 July 2022. If the majority of MEPs (353) object to the Commission’s proposal, it will have to be withdrawn or amended.
Summary
In January 2022, the EU proposed to label natural gas and nuclear energy ‘green’ if certain criteria are met
Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg were among the countries opposing the idea
On June 14, 2022, MEPs from the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee and the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee objected to the Commission’s proposal
The EU Parliament will vote on the first week of July 2022
