14 DAY TRIAL // As it becomes increasingly obvious that fossil fuels are destroying our planet, and people begin to wake up to this reality, scientists are beginning to wonder what the future of energy may be. Some argue that nuclear fission could be a powerful alternative, but the most recent statistic study on the issue has revealed that only two percent of the world's needs are met from this source. Despite talks of a “renaissance,” it is highly unlikely that nuclear reactors will have the answer to our energy problems, international energy expert Professor Stephen Thomas, from the University of Greenwich, says.
The expert is scheduled to sustain an inaugural lecture on February 4, in which he will discuss some of the issues associated with nuclear energy, and the role of competition in shaping the future of our planet's energy consumption and demand. He is also one of the coauthors of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report for 2009, the document that revealed the worsening state of the nuclear energy sector, AlphaGalileo reports.
“Current and planned building projects of the nuclear industry are becoming increasingly expensive. The EPR (European Pressurised water Reactor) for example, the flagship of the world's largest manufacturer of reactors, AREVA NP, which is currently in construction in Olkiluoto in Finland, has so far exceeded planned costs by at least 75 %. In the UK we need to examine whether the government will be able to meet its promise to provide nuclear power without public subsidy, and to its planned timetable,” the expert reveals.
“The severe winter of 2009/10 will provide a stern test for the competitive gas and electricity markets, especially their ability to provide reliable, affordable supplies. If the result is that large numbers of consumers fall into debt or, worse, die of cold, while the energy companies make handsome profits, the perception that opening up these industries to competition has been a success will disappear,” he goes on to say. Thomas holds an appointment in the University's Business School Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU), where he is a professor of energy policy. The stated goals of his research are the liberalization of energy markets, as well as economic and policy issues surrounding nuclear power.