Fatih Birol, the world’s most powerful energy manager, lobbies for nuclear power plants: “The great return of nuclear energy has begun.”

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The end of nuclear energy is in question in Switzerland. In a few weeks, nuclear advocates will introduce a popular initiative called “Stop the Blackout,” which aims to remove from the constitution the ban on building new nuclear power plants. The initiators announced a few weeks ago that the required 100,000 signatures had been collected.

The political debate in Switzerland reflects a global trend. Fatih Birol, President of the International Energy Agency, says, “A great comeback has begun in nuclear energy.” “We see a big nuclear wave coming.”

Blick met with Turk on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. Birol’s evaluations are quite interesting; In this role, he is considered the world’s most powerful energy manager. Headquartered in Paris, the IEA advises 31 member countries, including Switzerland, on energy policy issues. British Time Magazine put Birol on its list of the 100 most influential people of 2021.

The biggest problem: who pays for this?

Birol says nuclear energy is being increasingly reused in Japan, Korea, China, India, Canada, the United States, as well as many European countries such as France and Sweden. Believes nuclear energy is necessary to achieve net zero CO2 climate target₂emissions. Nuclear energy also makes a significant contribution to security of supply. The demand for electricity will increase significantly in the coming years; keywords include electric cars and heat pumps.

The sticking point with nuclear energy was and remains financing. Even nuclear power plant operators in Switzerland do not see a future in nuclear energy, at least in the short and medium term.

“Political resistance to nuclear energy still exists, but it is much less than before,” says Birol. “Public opinion is shifting in favor of nuclear energy.” The waste problem is and will remain a problem, but it can be easily solved. The biggest challenge is finding financing options for the construction of new nuclear power plants, says the IEA boss.

22 countries want to promote nuclear energy

For example, in China, the state finances nuclear power plants. Another possibility is that the state creates incentives for private investors. Birol believes that government support is justified because nuclear energy increases a country’s security of supply.

Currently, about 10 percent of the energy produced globally comes from nuclear power plants. This rate will increase in the next few years. At the climate conference in Dubai last December, 22 countries signed a declaration of intent to expand nuclear power. By 2050, capacities are expected to triple compared to 2020. Signatories include France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Poland, the United States and Japan.

Source :Blick