Royal Academy of Engineering urges nuclear energy use

The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) of Britain released a report of the country’s energy needs on Friday, stating the necessity of nuclear energy in order to meet low-carbon energy goals.

In this report, researchers associated with the academy state that there are serious risks in the delivery of energy necessary for the demand of the U.K. They state that significant investment by the private sector is necessary as decarbonization costs are likely going to rise. They indicate one of the main focuses the government should be working on is building capacity of low or non-carbon generating sources of energy, including nuclear and other forms.

Reviewing energy system models indicated that there is consensus regarding the pathway to meeting decarbonization goals. The report states that this would include a mixture of nuclear energy, carbon capture methods and gas generation.

For the supply of energy, the academy reports that nuclear power has the ability to act as a secured baseload source of electricity. They state that in order to meet decarbonization goals by 2030, nuclear energy is essential. The current fleet of nuclear reactors is reported to be reliant on extensions to plant lifespans. According to the report, there are not any planned plants that have received final investment commitments.