EU's traditional nuclear challenges heightened
May 15, 2013 | By
Barbara Vergetis Lundin
High capital costs and maintaining public confidence are the greatest challenges facing the European nuclear power industry, according to a recent Platts survey. The survey included more than 100 utilities, builders, consultancies and regulators in Europe. Political risk, long construction processes, regulatory uncertainty and safety concerns also came in high on the list of hurdles. When asked about the future of nuclear power capacity expansion in Europe, 80 percent of respondents said nuclear power would succeed in gaining a larger share of the continent's overall power generation mix. "While most of these challenges are traditional to the industry and likely always will be, they'll likely be heightened as new units, particularly those using new designs, are built," said Tom Harrison, Platts chief editor of nuclear publications. "Currently, these challenges are being viewed in a particular context, one of increased concerns about climate change, the pursuit of energy diversity, cost/benefit of competing generating sources, and attention to safety and its costs in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident." A newer aspect to these challenges is that reactor vendors and other suppliers competing for export opportunities are exploring new ways of packaging deals as nuclear power programs are introduced in other countries, Harrison added. Industry proponents and opponents are expected to closely watch the first new nuclear projects in Europe to see how they handle those political, financial, regulatory and safety issues. For more:
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