The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 intensified global fears about nuclear energy and slowed its development in Europe and other parts of the world, the Associated Press said in an analysis in connection with the marking of the 40th anniversary of the events that led to one of the worst nuclear disasters in the world (7th degree on the International Nuclear and Radiation Event Scale, with the only other similar event being the accident at the “Fukushima-1“ nuclear power plant in Japan in 2011 - editor's note). Four decades later, however, there is a global resurgence of nuclear power - a trend that received a strong boost from the war in the Middle East, the AP article also states.
Over 400 nuclear reactors are operating in 31 countries, and about 70 more are under construction. Nuclear power provides about 10 percent of the world's electricity, or about a quarter of all low-carbon energy sources.
During that time, nuclear reactors have undergone constant improvements, adding more safety features and reducing construction and operating costs.
While Chernobyl and the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan dampened interest in the energy source, it was clear years ago that a revival was likely, said Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency.
With the war in the Middle East, “I am 100 percent sure that nuclear power is coming back,” he added.
“It is seen as a safe source of electricity generation and we will see a very strong revival in America, Europe and Asia,” Birol told The Associated Press.
The United States is the world's largest nuclear power producer, with 94 operating reactors, which provide about 30 percent of global nuclear power generation. The country is ramping up capacity development efforts with the goal of quadrupling it by 2050, the AP analysis said.
“The world cannot power its industries, meet the needs of artificial intelligence or secure its energy future without nuclear power,” said US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas DiNano last month.
China has 61 nuclear reactors and is the world leader in building new capacity, with nearly 40 under construction, aiming to overtake the US and become the global leader in capacity.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has admitted that abandoning nuclear power was a “strategic mistake” for Europe and outlined new initiatives to encourage the construction of power plants.
Russia, for its part, is a leading exporter of nuclear technology, building 20 reactors worldwide.
The fourth reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded on April 26, 1986, when Ukraine was still part of the Soviet Union. The accident contaminated nearby areas and spread radiation across Europe.
Ukraine continues to rely heavily on nuclear power, which provides about half of its electricity. These facilities play a key role after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russian forces have seized the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, and Kiev has accused Moscow of a drone attack on a protective structure above the damaged Chernobyl reactor.
Japan has restarted 15 reactors after analyzing lessons from the earthquake and tsunami that led to the Fukushima disaster, and 10 more are in the approval process.
South Africa has the only nuclear power plant on the African continent, while Russia is building another in Egypt and other African countries are exploring the possibilities of the technology.
“The momentum we are seeing today is the result of a growing realization that reliable, low-carbon electricity will be essential to meet growing energy demand,” said the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi.
After the conflict in Ukraine began, Europe tried to reduce its dependence on Russian energy resources, but the war in the Middle East highlighted its dependence on fossil fuels.
The European Commission has changed its view on nuclear energy and considered it part of the clean energy mix along with wind and solar power, the article states.
In 1990, nuclear energy provided about a third of Europe's electricity, and today its share is about 15 percent. Von der Leyen notes that dependence on imported fossil fuels puts Europe at a disadvantage.
“I believe it was a strategic mistake for Europe to give up a reliable and affordable source of low-emission energy,” she said, adding that Europe wants to be part of the nuclear power renaissance.
The European Union is considering the development of small modular reactors, which are expected to come into operation in the early 2030s and are considered cheaper and more flexible, the AP added.
France, Sweden and Finland are among the countries that support nuclear power, while Germany, Austria and Italy are among the countries that have banned it.
Belgium has repealed a law to close the reactors and extended their operating life, while Spain plans to gradually decommission them by 2035.
France has 57 reactors in 19 plants and relies on nuclear energy for nearly 70 percent of its electricity generation and plans to build new reactors. Successive governments have championed nuclear power as central to France's energy independence.
Germany will shut down its last reactors in 2023. A return to nuclear power remains unlikely despite discussions about small modular reactors, the AP recalls.
Russia is expanding its nuclear capacity and building new reactors both at home and abroad. It has 34 active reactors, including eight light-water graphite reactors similar to those used at Chernobyl, which account for about a quarter of its nuclear power generation. The country has key projects and contracts in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Belarus, a third of whose territory was affected by the Chernobyl accident, is also developing nuclear power. Moscow built the first nuclear reactor for the allied country.
"Belarusian authorities are taking advantage of the changed situation and the so-called “nuclear renaissance“ to claim that we are acting like everyone else in the world, instead of solving the problems of Belarusians in the contaminated territories," said Irina Sukhii, founder of the Belarusian environmental organization "Green Network", the AP added.