European Union energy policy should take account of the flexibility nuclear power could provide alongside intermittent renewables for the bloc’s electricity system, the Brussels-based nuclear industry group Foratom has said. In a position paper Foratom said the flexible operation of the EU’s nuclear fleet – its ability to follow the peaks and troughs of electricity demand – could be used alongside variable renewable energy sources to ensure security of energy supply and lower CO2 emissions. Foratom said the challenge for renewables is their intermittent nature, dependent on weather conditions. They therefore need to be combined with other sources of low-carbon energy such as nuclear. According to Foratom, a general misconception is that nuclear can only provide baseload power, while in reality it can also be operated in a flexible manner.
Nucnet 7th May 2018 read more »
