Nuclear energy could be one way to achieve climate goals, former vice-president of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, member of the COP Bureau Andrej Bojić told Report.
In his opinion, the main advantage of nuclear energy is that it requires a relatively small amount of nuclear fuel to produce energy compared to other energy sources, especially when compared to coal.
“Some studies show that 1,000MW power plants consume two million tons of coal per year, compared to 30 tons of uranium fuel,” he said.
Bojić emphasized that the coal-fired power plant will annually produce 6 million tons of carbon dioxide and 120,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 25,000 tons of nitrous oxide, as well as about 300,000 tons of ash, dust and other harmful substances.
The expert claims that a nuclear power plant of the same power, when using 30 tons of uranium fuel, produces only one ton of radioactive waste, the remaining 29 tons - uranium and plutonium - can be reused.
Speaking about outdated nuclear power plants, the expert noted that old-style stations were designed for a service life of about 30 years, and more modern ones - from 40 to 60 years.
“At the end of the life of any power plant, it must be decommissioned, cleaned and demolished to make way for other uses,” he concluded.
As part of its chairmanship at COP29, which will be held in November 2024, Azerbaijan will pay attention to the issue of nuclear safety.