Nuclear energy in 2023, Part 1: A nuclear renaissance begins in Czechia

A number of European countries are returning to the use of nuclear energy, and the need for its rapid development was also voiced at the COP28 talks. The first small modular reactor, which can be classified as a Generation IV reactor, entered commercial operation. The number of third-generation reactors and experience with their construction and operation are growing. More countries are planning to build new units.

A comparison of the energy sectors in France and Germany increasingly clearly shows that low-emission electricity generation cannot be achieved in more general geographical conditions that do not offer the same hydropower potential as Norway or geothermal potential as Iceland. France, as well as Sweden, Switzerland and now Slovakia, has extremely low emissions from electricity generation. Germany, by contrast, clearly shows that not even a country with the strongest economy can achieve a low-emission electricity mix based solely on renewable sources.