AleaSoft, April 3, 2020. Antonio Delgado Rigal, PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Founder and CEO of AleaSoft answered the pv magazine’s question of the month. This time the question was “Until the storage technologies allow us to approach 100% renewable electricity, should the nuclear energy be considered as part of a low emissions mix? Or is there another preferable alternative?” For Antonio, the nuclear energy in Europe was, is and will be in the coming years very important in the electricity mix.
Until the storage technologies allow us to approach 100% renewable electricity, should the nuclear energy be considered as part of a low emissions mix? Or is there another preferable alternative?
“The nuclear energy in Europe was, is and will be in the coming years very important in the electricity mix. The nuclear energy, unlike other thermal energies, does not generate polluting gas emissions.
In France more than 75% of the electrical energy is produced with nuclear energy. It should be noted that France is the electric heart of Europe. Almost all Western European countries are connected by border to the French electricity system. This situation favoured that, in general, all these countries had lower and more stable prices compared to those that they would have had without this French nuclear heart.
In Spain, the nuclear energy contributes more than 20% of the total energy to the electricity generation mix, having a fundamental strategic importance. At AleaSoft we published opinions on the importance of this topic in the electricity generation in Spain. The nuclear energy guarantees a base of stability to the electricity system and helps to have lower and more stable electricity market prices.
In the coming years, the renewable energies and especially the photovoltaic energy will continue to increase their production capacities. During this period, the productions with combined cycle gas turbines and nuclear reactors will continue to coexist and to be essential in a stable generation mix.
As we stated on other occasions, the production of hydrogen must be encouraged as a fundamental element of storage and for its use in transport without polluting gases. To advance on the path of decarbonisation, it is necessary that the electricity production with green hydrogen becomes part of the generation mix in the not too distant future.
Let’s hope that the nuclear energy production in Europe can continue for many years to guarantee a robust mix together with the new renewable energies that are incorporated into the system”.