The Technological and Economic Future of Nuclear Power

2019 | ISBN: 3658259868 | English | IX, 385 pages | PDF | 7 MB

Series: Energiepolitik und Klimaschutz. Energy Policy and Climate Protection

In November 1978 the Austrian Electorate, in a nationwide referendum, decided against the commissioning of the first Austrian Nuclear Power Plant in Zwentendorf. History proved this decision having been rather forward-looking.

Today, 40 years later, having experienced the severe accidents of Chernobyl in 1986 and of Fukushima in 2011, both with far ranging and long lasting severe impacts, quite a number of countries is phasing-out, or has decided to phase-out, nuclear power. Nevertheless, other countries are determined to continue the use of nuclear power, or have decided to embark on a nuclear power programme.

From our point of view, nuclear power cannot be considered compatible with the concept of sustainable development. Consequently, reliance on nuclear power must not be considered a viable option to combat climate change. Sustainable development, if fully applied to the energy sector, would require substantial increases in energy efficiency and in energy saving as well as switch to renewable sources of energy