Driven by its rapidly growing electricity needs, India has the most ambitious nuclear deployment plans, with an eight-fold increase in nuclear capacity relative to current levels, in order to meet their national climate objective. Also, the targets set by China, in its 13th Five Year Plan, pave the way for a five-fold increase in nuclear capacity by 2030 relative to current levels. Additional countries are expected to further define roles for nuclear power in their INDC submissions. In particular, the United States and the European Union are expected to replace some retiring reactors and could add new units to complement other low-carbon measures. Nuclear power is considered to be a suitable option to address climate change mitigation. Nuclear power, along with hydropower and wind energy, produces one of the lowest Global Greehouse Gasses emissions per unit of electricity generated on a life cycle basis (i.e. construction, operation, decommissioning, waste management). The Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by a number of countries in support of the Paris Agreement are aimed at reducing or mitigating greenhouse gas emissions over a span of 10 to 15 years. As of the end of October 2016, 163 INDCs were submitted, representing 190 countries and covering almost 99% of global emissions.
Nuclear has an important role in current national climate mitigation strategies. In the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submissions, ten countries explicitly listed nuclear power in their national climate strategies, including five countries currently with nuclear power programmes (Argentina, China, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan), two with reactors under construction (Belarus, United Arab Emirates), and three prospective users (Jordan, Niger, Turkey).
Monday, November 6, 2017
