Europe's Nuclear Power Experiment


Book Description

Europe's Nuclear Power Experiment: History of the OECD Dragon Project discusses the achievements of the Project, which is regarded as one of Europe's most successful collaborations in applied science and certainly the most important multinational technical collaboration in the field of nuclear energy. The Project is centered on the construction of a nuclear reactor that is to demonstrate the essential properties of a new system, designed to produce higher temperatures than could be achieved with the first generation of reactors. After a brief introduction to the political collaboration and technical development of the Project, this 28-chapter goes on dealing with the competitive forms of cooperation in nuclear energy and the function of the European Nuclear Energy Agency. The succeeding chapters survey various aspects of nuclear reactor and the Dragon Project Agreement, its long-term role, research and development, industrialization, and supervision by the signatories. Other chapters consider other details and contributions of various member countries in the Project. The concluding chapters discuss the Project's extension program and its achievements. This book is of value to nuclear power scientists and researchers.




The Politics of Nuclear Energy in the European Union


Book Description

For the foreseeable future the overall use of nuclear electricity in the European Union is unlikely to change significantly despite the controversies surrounding its use amongst the EU’s nation states. The author questions the role that nuclear electricity plays in meeting the challenges of providing secure, competitive and sustainable energy to support the development of the low carbon economy in the EU. Analysis presented focuses on the evolution of the discourse on nuclear energy amongst policy makers at European and national levels as well as amongst the public.




Electrical Energy Generation in Europe


Book Description

The present book maximizes reader insights into the current and future roles to be played by different types of renewable energy sources and nuclear energy for the purpose of electricity generation in the European region as a whole and in a select group of European countries specifically. This book includes detailed analysis of the different types of renewable energy sources available in different European countries; the pros and cons of the use of the different types of renewables and nuclear energy for electricity generation; which energy options are available in the different European countries to expand their energy sector in the coming years; the impact on the climate and the environment; levels of production and consumption and the level of electricity generated by these energy sources, amongst others. Designed to inform government officials, economists, scientists and the private and public power industry of the key issues surrounding the future role of different renewable energy sources and nuclear energy in the production of electricity within the European region, this book will also describe in detail the evolution of the electrical energy sector in the chosen European region and the problems that several countries are now experiencing in the face of increasing demand for electricity.




Handbook on European Nuclear Law


Book Description

Energy and Environmental Law and Policy Series #39 While the European Economic Community has evolved through the decades into the legal entity of the European Union, the substantive law contained in the 1957 Euratom Treaty has never been amended. Recurring legal discussions of the treaty’s potentially obsolete nature give rise to this much-needed handbook, which provides systematic analysis and evaluation of the competences conferred under the Euratom Treaty. Following the structure of the Euratom Treaty, the author analyses and evaluates the scope, content, exercise, and case law of the Euratom Communities’ competences in the following fields: Promotion of research, with reference to the Horizon research programmes; dissemination of information; health and safety, including environmental protection; investments; joint undertakings; nuclear supplies; safeguards; property ownership of fissile materials; the nuclear common market; and the Community’s external relations. The book deals with issues of stagnation and potential obsolescence through such lenses as the legislative amendment procedure, level of regulatory detail, quantitative elements of exercise, secondary legal acts, and the Court of Justice of the European Union’s power to define and delimit the Euratom Community’s competences. The competences in the fields of military activities and State aid are also examined in detail. The role of principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in European nuclear law and the issue of classification of competences under the Euratom Treaty are addressed in this book. With its systematic, chapter-by-chapter analysis of competences of the Euratom Community under the Euratom Treaty, the book will be welcomed by lawyers and negotiators working in nuclear field, researchers in nuclear law and in the broader competences of the EU, and policymakers in the European nuclear sector. “This book represents an important contribution to the renewed academic discourse on the Euratom Community. I would like to recommend it both to those looking for concise information on this neglected Community as well as to those dealing with the topic of competences with respect to the law of the EU. It is also vital reading for policymakers and lawyers active in the field of energy and nuclear law” Jakub Handrlica, Common Market Law Review (2021)




Politics and Nuclear Power


Book Description

With the dramatic changes OPEC precipitated in the structure of world energy markets during the 1970s, energy became a central concern to policymakers throughout the industrialized West. This book ex-amines the responses of public officials in three leading European nations—the Federal Republic of Germany, France, and the Netherlands—to the energy crisis. As the study shows, the proposed energy programs in the three countries shared remarkable similarities; yet the policy outcomes were very different. To explain why, Michael T. Hatch goes beyond the specific content of government energy policy to include an analysis of the policymaking process itself. At the heart of the study is an exploration of the various dimensions of nuclear policy in West Germany. The political consensus on nuclear power that prevailed in the initial years following the energy crisis disintegrated as antinuclear "citizens' initiatives," the courts, and trade unions, as well as the traditional political parties, entered the policymaking process. Subsequent government efforts to resolve the political stalemate over nuclear power foundered in a morass of domestic electoral politics and an international debate over nuclear proliferation. Extending the analysis to comparisons with French and Dutch nuclear strategies, Hatch argues that the critical factor in determining nuclear policy was the manner in which the political system structured the nuclear debate. In contrast to West Germany, where the electoral and parliamentary systems enhanced the influence of the antinuclear "Greens," the electoral system and constellation of political parties in France served to dissipate the influence of the antinuclear forces. Thus in France the nuclear program en-countered few impediments. In the Netherlands, as in West Germany, government policy was paralyzed in the face of antinuclear sentiment across a broad spectrum of Dutch society. Hatch has provided here not only a useful examination of the development of energy policy in western Europe but also a case study of the close interplay between policy and politics.










Nuclear Energy in Europe


Book Description

Recoge: 1. Introducing the Euratom treaty - 2. Nuclear safety and radation protection - 3. Waste and decommissioning - 4. Safeguards - 5. Supply - 6. Research - 7. Further information.




The Politics of Nuclear Energy in Western Europe


Book Description

This volume investigates nuclear energy policies in Western Europe over the entire post-war period, but with special attention to the two most recent decades. The comparative analytical perspective draws on the interplay between voters' attitudes, challenging movements, party competition, and coalition formation. Spanning more than 60 years and 16 countries, the researchers examine the underlying causal processes leading to the observed varieties of Western European nuclear energy policies. Based on a mixed methods approach using both structured case studies as well as quantitative analyses, the study shows that the nature of party competition under given institutional contexts is a key-driver for, as a rule, tactically motivated governmental policy changes and stability, respectively. Part I introduces the practical and theoretical relevance of the topic. It outlines the reasoning of the major scientific contributions with regard to nuclear energy policies, and offers a theoretical alternative to the previous literatures that has been predominantly movements-oriented. Additionally, it provides core economic and political indicators of the changing role of nuclear energy in the countries. Part II consists of seven in-depth case studies where the outlined theoretical perspective is applied. Part III consists of a general summary, short narratives of the countries not covered in case studies, qualitative comparison and an assessment of the factors for policy change from multivariate analysis.




The Technological and Economic Future of Nuclear Power


Book Description

This open access book discusses the eroding economics of nuclear power for electricity generation as well as technical, legal, and political acceptance issues. The use of nuclear power for electricity generation is still a heavily disputed issue. Aside from technical risks, safety issues, and the unsolved problem of nuclear waste disposal, the economic performance is currently a major barrier. In recent years, the costs have skyrocketed especially in the European countries and North America. At the same time, the costs of alternatives such as photovoltaics and wind power have significantly decreased. Contents History and Current Status of the World Nuclear Industry The Dramatic Decrease of the Economics of Nuclear Power Nuclear Policy in the EU The Legacy of Csernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear Waste and Decommissioning of Nuclear Power Plants Alternatives: Heading Towards Sustainable Electricity Systems Target Groups Researchers and students in the fields of political, economic and technical sciences Energy (policy) experts, nuclear energy experts and practitioners, economists, engineers, consultants, civil society organizations The Editors Prof. Dr. Reinhard Haas is University Professor of energy economics at the Institute of Energy Systems and Electric Drives at Technische Universität Wien, Austria. PD Dr. Lutz Mez is Associate Professor at the Department for Political and Social Sciences of Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. PD Dr. Amela Ajanovic is a senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Energy Systems and Electrical Drives at Technische Universität Wien, Austria.--