Nuclear energy in 2024, part 1: A key year for Czechia

This year saw key decisions in the Czech Republic on the further development of nuclear energy. Japan decided to return to intensive development in this area. In China, the development of nuclear capacity continues to accelerate. A nuclear renaissance is also awakening in Europe, and even German politicians are beginning to change their minds. The deployment of small modular reactors is approaching.

Germany in 2024, when it no longer had any nuclear reactors in operation, demonstrated the fundamental problematic features of its Energiewende. Despite the enormous installed capacity of wind and solar resources, a large share of its electricity is generated using fossil fuels. Moreover, it has changed from a net exporter of electricity into a net importer.

France, by contrast, has had low-carbon electricity generation for decades thanks to its combination of nuclear and renewable sources, and is one of the largest net exporters of electricity. Comparing the two shows which path truly leads to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and which leads to a dead end.