2022 Year in Review

T H E N U C L E A R
R E N A I S S A N C E I N
E U R O P E
C O U L D N U C L E A R E N E R G Y H E L P E U R O P E
R E A C H I T S G R E E N D E A L T A R G E T S ?
Nicolas Buitrago
In a controversial vote, the European Commission green-labelled
nuclear and gas energy projects, possibly to counter the prolonged
effects of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Many of us may still remember where we were when the Fukushima nuclear disaster
made news headlines around the world in March 2011. Fearing another potential
radioactive catastrophe in Europe, some industrialised nations, namely Germany,
Belgium and Switzerland, have committed to a nuclear power phase-out by 2034
while also developing ambitious green projects reliant on renewable energy sources
in response to the climate crisis.
Nuclear energy has been championed as an alternative to fossil energy sources to
deliver sustainable energy transitions. Today, nuclear energy accounts for 10% of the
world’s electricity and one-third of low-carbon electricity, which is roughly equivalent
to removing one-third of all cars from the world’s roads.
In February 2022, the invasion of Ukraine brought about an energy crisis across
Europe, prompting the latter to consider sourcing natural gas from outside Russia or
doubling down on renewable sources. In support of Ukraine, the EU began to impose
sanctions on Russia's exports, reducing the bloc's dependency on Russian fossil fuels,
which in 2021 accounted for 40% of its total gas consumption, more than 25% of its
oil imports, and nearly 46% of its coal imports.
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