Going Nuclear in Europe

Europe cannot survive without nuclear energy, according to experts at a nuclear energy meeting in Barcelona this past week.

"Nuclear energy supplies about a third of all electricity in Europe. Our goal is to increase that share," said Derek Taylor of the European Commission's nuclear directorate. Fossil fuels are depleting, he said, and cannot be completely replaced by new sources. After a long halt, nuclear projects are starting up in a number of European countries.

Last year, Finland decided to build a new plant, with Siemens as the major contractor. The unit is to open by 2007. Interest in new reactors is coming from France, Italy, and Spain, all of which had stopped new reactor construction several years, even decades, ago.

Nuclear experts note that it is important to justify new projects and convince the public of their necessity. In that regard, heavily-nuclear France has taken an interesting approach. The country is coupling nuclear with wind and other renewables in an advertising campaign. French expert Alain Bucaille claimed that this approach has had positive results, although it is hard to judge such claims in a country where the only electric and gas utilities are state-owned.