The New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI) has published the September edition of their ‘Yes to Nuclear’ perspectives initiative. In the previous month, we looked at the role of nuclear energy in safeguarding our energy supplies. This month, we focus on the human development and economic benefits brought about by the production of nuclear energy.
The planet is moving towards an unprecedented tipping point in which climate change will threaten the prosperity that so many of us enjoy today, and what millions of us will be able to enjoy tomorrow. We can mitigate climate change by reducing consumption of carbon-intensive fuels.
The provision of sustainable, reliable energy is necessary in the pursuit of many basic human needs. Access to energy enables people to be part of more equitable societies; a domestic nuclear energy program can assist in improving the quality of education.
Human Development
The potential of nuclear energy should be explored within the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as it can achieve the goals of decarbonization and reducing unsustainable human pressure on the environment.
This article explores the ability of nuclear energy to improve the quality of education (SDG 4), provide the energy needed for societal and economic development (SDG 5), and reduce inequalities (SDG 10).
The UN highlights several steps that must be taken in order to improve access to quality education. Most notably, it highlights the need for equal access to affordable, and quality technical, vocational, and higher education that teaches the skills needed for high-level employment.
Nuclear medicine has advanced to detect and cure devastating illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Increasing capacity in these areas requires highly educated and skilled individuals.
Engineering is often a male-dominated field; attracting women into STEM careers is a goal that many countries are now pursuing. The nuclear community recognizes the important role that women can play and encourages organisations to promote gender inclusivity.
Lack of access to energy poses a barrier to economic and social mobility in developing nations. Universal access to affordable, sustainable electricity is crucial in reducing socio-economic inequalities and curbing reliance on energy sources that harm the planet. Nuclear energy has the potential to achieve this by reducing the time and manual labour inputs of gendered roles in developing countries, thus allowing men and women equal time for other pursuits.
Economic Development
While nuclear power can make a worthwhile contribution towards human development, those who work in the industry also reap significant economic benefits. In the United States, for example, workers in the nuclear industry earn on average $39 per hour, have a high rate of union participation, and many opportunities for veteran employment.
Of all the zero-carbon emitting energy technology industries in which to work, nuclear is the best remunerated. Jobs in the nuclear industry enjoy a 30% higher than average salary in energy technologies and are usually permanent.
Nuclear facilities generate 10 per cent of the world’s electricity and account for 25 per cent of all low-carbon electricity. Many different people, companies and industries participate in the supply chain required for nuclear projects. Concrete and steel producers are two good examples. Every export of $1 billion in materials creates 5,000 jobs and would stimulate local economies across the globe.
Volatility in the 2021 fossil fuel market has demonstrated the need for a backup source of energy, a position which the nuclear sector is well-suited to fill, as it is resilient to price shocks. The World Nuclear Association believes that new nuclear build projects must be increased to an annual connection rate of 33 GWe over the next decade in order to achieve the 1.5°C target towards combatting climate change.
Estimates place average nuclear plant construction time at six years, excluding preliminary work. The time and cost of construction can be reduced by adopting more efficient practices. This can be done by strengthening international networks to develop a unified regulatory and financial approach. The combined efforts of government and industry towards the construction of nuclear facilities across the globe can ensure that decarbonisation deadlines are met on time.
Despite this, the trajectory is still favourable for nuclear energy: there are currently 51 nuclear power plants under construction worldwide, including new nuclear units in developing areas such as the Middle East.
The Middle East is slowly seeing a proliferation of renewable energies, indicating an institutional awareness in Arab societies of the issues associated with fossil fuels. Countries are harnessing the power of their environment with solar cells and wind farms being used to power homes and cars.
Increasing numbers of Middle Eastern countries are moving towards nuclear energy as part of an effort to decarbonise and diversify their energy supply. Not only will the UAE’s Barakah Plant – currently being built by South Korea’s KEPCO – supply up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, it will also reduce annual carbon emissions by 21 million tonnes once fully operational.
As is the case for any large infrastructural project, a new nuclear build project greatly contributes to a country’s economic and social performance. The Rosatom-built El-Dabaa plant will add about $4 billion per year to Egypt’s GDP during the construction stage alone and create up to 25,000 new jobs during the construction peak. Akkuyu NPP, another Rosatom project, will add $50 billion to Turkey’s GDP over its sixty-year lifecycle. Both the aforementioned plants will generate enough power to satisfy 10% of their respective countries’ power consumption when operational. It is no wonder that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and many other Middle Eastern countries are considering adding nuclear to their energy mix.
It should be noted that power generation is not the only peaceful application of this technology: efforts are now underway to develop programs in nuclear medicine, agricultural radiology, water desalinization and other areas important for the health and prosperity of society.