Nuclear power plants may be activated in several countries after the worsening of the global energy crisis

With gas supplies cut off from Russia due to the war, some countries are considering reactivating nuclear power plants.

The current energy crisis in Europe, given the cut in gas supplies from Russia, only highlights that Germany and Belgium anticipated when they determined the end of nuclear generation by power plants of nuclear energy.

Since 2011, due to the incident in Fukushima, Japan, the German and Belgian governments have declared themselves against nuclear energy, informing the closure of some nuclear power plants. However, with the global energy crisis, governments around the world are reconsidering their energy policies in order to include the construction of new energy reactors.

Nuclear energy from nuclear power plants has become a requirement to achieve a clean world energy matrix by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), without an increase in energy generation by nuclear power plants, the possibility of achieving Carbon 0 proposal by the year 2050 will cost about US$ 500 billion more, in addition to increasing end-consumer energy bills by US$ 20 billion per year.

Reactivation of nuclear power plants will help countries dependent on energy from Russia

The reactivation of power plants the energy nuclear energy will serve as an aid to meet the energy needs of countries, especially now, in the current scenario of energy crisis, such as emptying of reservoirs, or at times when renewable energies are not as effective, such as at night or when the wind is not it's so strong.

Check out the list of countries that are already investing or have invested again in nuclear energy:

• Netherlands: plans to build a new nuclear power plant, the first since 1973;
• United Kingdom: is building and has also decided to build a new nuclear power plant;
• Poland: invested in the construction of new nuclear power plants;
• Czech Republic: is building a new nuclear reactor;
• France: is planning to build and export new nuclear power plants;
• Russia and China: are supporting nuclear energy in Africa;
• Several countries that do not have nuclear power plants are starting their first nuclear reactor projects;
• Japan is restarting idle nuclear power plants;
• Germany: is considering extending the life cycle of its remaining nuclear power plants;
• Belgium: is delaying the closure of nuclear power plants;
• European Union: Voted to formally recognize nuclear energy as “green”;
• USA: announced investments of US$ 6 billion to keep nuclear power plants open;
• California: Is rethinking the planned closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plan.

European Parliament declares nuclear power plants as a sustainable energy source

The European Parliament has validated a new set of guidelines classifying nuclear power plants of energy and gas generation as an alternative for the environment, being now declared as a source of clean and renewable energy.

The validation came after a series of researches that came to the conclusion that the fuels produced in nuclear power plants can be less harmful to the environment. Gas is a fossil fuel, which is also responsible for polluting emissions, but compared to coal, it is a cleaner source of energy. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, does not develop CO2 gases, but emits radioactive waste.

The conclusion taken by the EP is divided, since nuclear power plants are not totally ''safe'', because they can emit radioactive materials, which requires severe training of skilled labor in the engineering area, to avoid possible accidents irreversible.