The war in Iran reignites interest in nuclear energy

BarcelonaHashimoto Takuma was three years old when he and his family had to hastily leave their home in Iwaki. It was March 11, 2011, the day a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck. They impacted the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japanand caused the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl. The surges breached the containment walls, flooded the cooling systems, and triggered core meltdowns in three reactors and hydrogen explosions. The accident forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate their homes to survive. From that day forward, Fukushima became an active nuclear disaster, a situation that persists to this day.

Now, however, Hashimoto is eighteen years old and one of the people in Japan who still hold pro-nuclear sentiments, according to Reuters. And, in fact, he wants to pursue a career in nuclear energy at a radiation monitoring center. The Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the company that operates all of Japan's nuclear reactors, continue their efforts to reactivate the 33 nuclear reactors that still exist in the country, which were shut down after the disaster.

Today, the most enthusiastic supporter of the return of nuclear power is Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who, following her election victory, has pushed for the restart of Japan's nuclear industry. She even restarted one of the seven reactors at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant, the largest nuclear power plant in the world. Everything seems to indicate that the government wants to ignore Japan's history and geology, a country that suffers at least 1,000 earthquakes a year. They argue that the danger is a thing of the past and that the land and water are clean, but the people of Fukushima know the truth, as they are the ones who have lived with the danger and the stigma of living in the nuclear village for fifteen years.

Now the problem is exacerbated by the war with Iran. Japan is one of the world's most energy-dependent countries, relying heavily on natural gas and oil from the Middle East, of which it is a major buyer. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz leaves the country in a precarious energy situation, with reserves, especially of gas, lasting only a few days, and forced to pay exorbitant prices to new suppliers of oil and LNG. But the debate over nuclear power hasn't been reignited only in Japan. Europe is experiencing a renewed push for this technology, which some defend because it doesn't emit CO₂.—although it produces radiological waste that must be kept contained for many years—, and because the fight against climate change requires electrifying the economy and transport, which will necessitate generating much more electricity that does not produce emissions.

"Extending the safe operation of nuclear power plants is one of the most economical options for guaranteeing clean energy," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech just a few days ago. at the International Atomic Energy Agency summit (IAEA), which has brought together some thirty heads of state and government this Thursday in Brussels.

The German leader noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted a "new perspective" on "the potential of nuclear power" and recalled that almost a quarter of the electricity consumed by Europeans is still generated by nuclear power plants. She also championed this technology as a reliable energy source that helps "stabilize" electricity prices, which skyrocketed during the energy crisis. "Europe made a strategic error by turning its back on a reliable, economical, and low-emission energy source," the Commission President declared. And French President Emmanuel Macron recently called for investment in the nuclear sector, especially now that the international geopolitical context is complex and dependence on hydrocarbons is jeopardizing the economy due to the wars in Ukraine and Iran. Other European leaders are changing their stance, such as Germany, a country that launched a plan to close nuclear power plants, a plan now being disavowed by the current Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The German leader described the plan as "irreversible" but said he "regrets" not being able to reverse course. Meanwhile, Spain is becoming one of the leading advocates among the 27 member states for the transition to renewables, a topic already raised at this week's European Council meeting, with Pedro Sánchez leading the group opposed to reopening the door to fossil fuels, which are even more polluting than war. Spain's position was also made very clear by the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, after Von der Leyen warned about the possible premature closure of nuclear power plants. The Third Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition responded on Tuesday to the European Commission President's warnings: "The plan on the table" for Spain is renewable energy. Aagesen was very clear: "The sun and wind will never be blocked in the Strait of Hormuz."

Furthermore, the minister pointed out that "the first thing the Commission President highlights" in her letter is the need for countries to develop a more self-sufficient energy system, which renewable energies make possible. "There are many different approaches for different countries," she noted. She also reaffirmed the Pedro Sánchez government's commitment to renewables: "This has been this government's policy since 2018," concluded the vice president, who also emphasized "the great advantage" they offer the Spanish economy in terms of competitiveness.

In fact, the current vice president and minister is following the path set by her predecessor, Teresa Ribera, the current Vice President of the European Commission for a Net, Just and Competitive Transition. But Ribera has now also loosened her stance on nuclear power. In fact, Ribera, along with the European Commissioner for Industry and Clean Transition, Stéphane Séjourné, officially presented the measure and proposed investing more than 200 million euros in the deployment of mini-nuclear reactors throughout the European Union. Thus, Brussels was taking advantage of the energy price increases caused by the war to "break taboos"—as Séjourné put it—and take a further step in favor of nuclear energy and the "strategic autonomy" of the European bloc. "It makes sense on a geopolitical, economic, and social scale," the French leader argued.

Without inconsistency

Advocating for a clean energy transition while simultaneously supporting small nuclear reactors seems incongruous. But it's understandable. "It depends on the country," says Mar Reguant, an economist specializing in energy, an ICREA researcher at the Institute for Economic Analysis, and a professor at Northwestern University. According to this expert, "in Germany, they still burn a lot of coal and gas, so it's normal that they're considering small reactors, but in Spain, there's a lot of potential in renewables," she explains. The debate, however, is increasingly present and, moreover, constantly evolving. José Enrique Vázquez, president of the energy committee of the employers' association Pimec, explains it this way: "If we had spoken three weeks ago, the approach would be different," he says. "The debate is completely different due to the circumstances," warns the head of energy at the employers' association.