EU green taxonomy including gas and nuclear energy with strict prepositions
The law was passed on 6th July 2022 by EU lawmakers in which gas and nuclear energy were declared a sustainable energy resource with strict prepositions of ATF(Accident Tolerance Fuels) and transitional activities.
Voting fell short of rejection of the the law because only 278 EU parliament members voted against the bill. 353 member votes against would have been enough to block the new legislation.
France is the EU standard bearer when it comes to nuclear power generation with struggling energy giant EDF preparing to issue green bonds to support 8 billion dollars of yearly nuclear spend.
In the quest for carbon neutrality, France aims to build 14 new power stations by 2050. 70% of Frances’ electricity is derived from nuclear power plants, which is very high in comparison to Germany who only used 12% of nuclear power to supply its demands.
Despite starting to phase out its nuclear power, Germany has begun a progress of attempting to extend the life cycle of their three remaining nuclear reactors.
https://eu-taxonomy.info/info/eu-taxonomy-overview
Across the EU the conversation regarding making nuclear power of a mainstream transitional solution is becoming louder.
Greenpeace’s response to it
Environmental campaigners Greenpeace expressed dismay and outrage regarding to the passing of the new law threatening legal action against the EU. Gas belongs to fossil fuel and nuclear power plant has a problem of nuclear radioactive waste.
So far there is no way to solve nuclear waste but just storing it deep in ground putting it in a sealed barrel. Disaster like landslide, tsunami and earthquake makes its storage unsafe.
High level of nuclear waste like Plutonium-239 has a life of a whopping 24,000 years and Uranium-238 has a half life of 4.5 billion years by nature. As you can guess, using these fuel types in nuclear reactors can present particular challenges to the environment, too.
When you are revealed into nuclear beams, your cells get damaged. It caused disabled babies. when you are released into radioactive waste like caesium-137 hat have manmade high energy gamma radiation, your cells are modified and get sick of cancers and die.
Caesium-139’s particles disperse easily and can migrate through air ducts and bind tightly to porous surfaces, including concrete. Caesium can keep emitting radiation for nearly 300 years.
Also natural gas isn’t so clean because when burned generates lots of methane, and is a very high contributor to greenhouse gases. Gas mining also pollutes ground water and cracks the earth.
Reasons and background of this taxonomy
Ukraine war has been worsening the energy crisis. Russia blocked gas pipes that are for EU. Germany has been much reliable to Russian gas a lot stopping all nuclear power plants in the country.
Before the Russian invasion in Ukraine there have been trends to develop new sustainable energy sources. But it takes time because there are trials and errors including much budgets for research and development.
The historic passing of this law is an attempt to cut reliance on Russian gas to generate power and supply gas to EU consumers and simultaneously having an effect of meeting gas emission targets by 2050.
Russian industry still supplies a fifth of uranium used worldwide in nuclear reactors, so some form of reliance will still be in effect.
However the EU has said that gas and nuclear fuel will only be considered green, if they are used more favourably when compared to much more harmful fossil fuel types such as oil and coal.
Therefore it’s more about such transitional activities which steer us away from these “dirtier” fuel types, contributing far more to climate change mitigation in the long run.
Green taxonomy has propositions of ATF
It is stated that Gas projects must only be taken into consideration if direct emissions are limited, and a switch to fully renewable power is scheduled before 2025.
Besides nuclear power must adhere to the highest standards of the disposal of radioactive waste by 2050, and use ATF reactor fuel by the year of 2025. ATF stands for Accident Tolerance Fuels, and has the impact of increasing safety at nuclear facilities.
However it’s claimed by some parties that nuclear power stations taken too long to construct and as a result are not fit for combating the climate crisis, because more urgent, faster solutions are required.
The EU designates that such nuclear facilities are climate friendly investments. EU taxonomy laws have been introduced so that investors can tell which industries are essentially green in nature.
Korean research team’s new solution for radiant iodine
Nuclear waste from power stations disappears as time passes, which is referred to as their half life. It means the amount of time it takes for an isotope to lose its radioactivity.
These waste types can linger for many thousands of years and present a health risk to humans if enough exposure is sustained. However man made isotopes can have significant lower half life durations, ranging from seconds to days.
Nonetheless on a positive note, there’s a ray of hope from a certain South Korean research team in the nuclear research field. Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute successfully removes radiant iodine completely from nuclear waste on 25th July 2022.
It gives hope in the dilemma of how to deal with our radioactive nuclear waste. It means humans will find ultimate solutions for other nuclear radioactive rays and elements actually.
Closure
EU’s new law of green taxonomy includes controversial gas and nuclear energy. But the law makes it clear its usage has limits of ATF and temporary consideration. Gas and nuclear power are transitional consideration until the real renewable green energy will be available in full.
Source: eutaxonomy, wwf
