Nuclear energy remains an almost taboo subject in Portugal. The country has no nuclear facilities and no plans to change them. During the 1970s, there was talk of implementing a nuclear power plant, but the project has since been abandoned. The Portuguese Research Reactor (RPI) operated for more than 40 years but was decommissioned in 2006 and dismantled in 2019. In 2021, Portugal signed a declaration to exclude nuclear energy from European funding. António Mexia, former CEO of EDP and one of Portugal’s leading figures in the energy sector, said, “There are 500 useful topics to discuss in Portugal. This one [nuclear energy] is totally useless.”
The topic of nuclear energy in Portugal is still outside the Overton window – the window that defines the extent of ideas tolerated in public discourse. However, a new report by We Are Innovation presents a different reality, showing that more and more countries and companies are no longer looking at nuclear energy with suspicion but are considering it a solution for the future.
According to the research carried out for this report, several European countries are determined to develop their nuclear energy production. European Union member states that already have nuclear reactors and plants, such as France, Sweden, Czechia, and the Netherlands, have announced their plans to invest even more in the sector, both financially and in terms of building infrastructure. On the other hand, member states that do not currently produce nuclear energy, such as Italy (which has stopped making it) and Poland (which has never produced it), intend to return or start doing so in the coming years – Italy is working on a new law favorable to the development of the nuclear sector. Poland hopes to open its first nuclear power plant by 2035.
There are several factors that explain the revival of nuclear energy in Europe. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has underlined the importance of European countries increasing their energy production, capacity, and efficiency so that they are no longer dependent on Russia, which is the world’s largest exporter of natural gas, the second largest exporter of oil and the third largest exporter of coal. In addition, the recent advent of Artificial Intelligence has created unprecedented energy demand. According to the We Are Innovation report, the use of data centers is expected to double by 2026, and AI’s energy needs are expected to grow between 30 percent and 166 percent by 2030. Google has even announced a partnership with nuclear giant Kairos Power, anticipating a threefold increase in energy consumption by the end of the decade.
The trend towards a nuclear renaissance is happening elsewhere, underlining the importance of Europe becoming competitive in this sector. The most striking case is China, which has 29 nuclear reactors under construction and an ambitious plan to build 6 to 8 atomic plants a year shortly. In terms of international relations, a declaration from COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, revealed the commitment of world leaders from 25 countries to triple nuclear production by 2050. Portugal is not among the signatories of this declaration.
However, it is important to note that our country is not alone in showing skepticism and distrust towards nuclear energy. Germany took the decision to abandon nuclear production and officially announced the phasing out of nuclear energy in 2002. This decision was heavily influenced by the Chernobyl accident in 1986 and accelerated by the Fukushima accident in 2011.
The events of Chernobyl and Fukushima should not be ignored. However, they should not be seen as a reason for the total extinction of nuclear production; instead, they should be seen according to their context. The Chernobyl accident was caused by a reactor malfunction caused by human error, and the Fukushima accident followed a tsunami. Both accidents led to improvements in safety and technological advances in the nuclear sector, which today has an entirely different outlook.
In recent years, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) have become increasingly popular, emerging as a safer, more flexible, and cost-effective alternative to large-scale reactors. According to the We Are Innovation report, Europe is heavily invested in the development of these reactors, with countries such as Poland, Romania, Czechia, Slovenia, and Bulgaria making efforts to include them in their nuclear systems. The European Commission recognizes the advantages of SMRs, explaining that “As they are smaller in size, power, and capacity, they require less space and less cooling water, but offer greater flexibility in site selection than large nuclear power plants. […] They are modular and can be mass-produced, which allows for more efficient production costs through economies of scale. […] They are adapted to supply electricity and, in addition, are capable of supplying heat for industrial applications, district heating, as well as for hydrogen production.” Outside of Europe, there are 18 countries working on SMRs, including powers such as Argentina, Canada, China, the USA, and Russia.
It’s not imperative that the Portuguese government immediately start drawing up a nuclear energy production plan. However, it would be beneficial if the issue were no longer viewed with skepticism and considered an option for energy transition. With Europe and the world taking steps forward, Portugal must not be left behind.
* Beatriz Santos is the Chief Communications Officer (CCO) at We Are Innovation. She is based in Lisbon, Portugal. Beatriz started publishing articles through her University newspaper and eventually moved to national and international reach outlets, including the well known Portuguese outlets NOVO and Observador. Her professional career includes international communications experience with the ATREVIA agency and the European Parliament. She also has two published books and is an essential part of the Students For Liberty organization in Portugal. With a focus on positive change and global cooperation, Beatriz actively seeks partnerships across the globe to promote innovative initiatives.
Source: We Are Innovation
