BRUSSELS - Europe's nuclear energy generators urged European Union policy makers on Thursday to include nuclear energy as a central part in the bloc's energy mix and future planning.
"The nuclear industry already makes a valuable contribution to achieving Europe's objectives in terms of security of energy supply, support for the EU economy and environmental protection," said a declaration signed by many of Europe's top energy firms.
The companies encouraged EU institutions and the union's 25 member states to keep all options open and promote investment in energy sources with very low or no carbon emissions, such as nuclear and renewables.
"In the coming years, oil resources will continue to dwindle, putting political decision-makers under increasing pressure," it said. "We firmly believe that nuclear-generated electricity should remain at the heart of Europe's energy supply system for the foreseeable future."
Proponents of nuclear energy say it is environmentally friendly because it does not emit greenhouse gases blamed for global warming, but environmentalists and others worry about the storage of radioactive waste and safety of nuclear facilities.
Countries such as France and Finland are developing their nuclear energy programmes, while Germany is phasing it out.
New European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs said earlier this month EU states can decide for themselves whether to use nuclear energy but must handle the waste within their own borders. His predecessor, Spain's Loyola de Palacio, was considered a strong nuclear proponent.
Nuclear energy has an image problem with many Europeans, who fear a repeat of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
The industry is increasingly portraying nuclear as a green fuel, while the EU tries to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, which curbs emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide (CO2). Nuclear power generation does not emit CO2.
"CO2 reduction as well as phasing out nuclear as we have now in Germany...doesn't go together," Gert Maichel, Chief Executive of RWE Power, said at a news conference.
According to the European Atomic Forum (Foratom), a trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe, about one third of the electricity produced in the 25-nation bloc is nuclear-generated. Thirteen EU states use nuclear, it says.
Nuclear power plants produce roughly 17 percent of the world's electricity, it says.
Foratom said in a statement 20 energy company heads had signed the declaration backing the nuclear power option.
They included bosses from Belgium's Electrabel, Germany's RWE Power and E.ON, Spain's Iberdrola, Sweden's Vattenfall and Britain's Urenco.
Story by Jeff Mason
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
