ABSTRACT
The term ‘energy transition’ is one that has captured the imagination of politicians, industry members and the public and is used to describe the path to a fully decarbonised energy system. This chapter discusses the elements that are contributing to the ‘energy transition’, and compares the attributes that the different technologies, including civil nuclear power, bring to the transition.
The energy transition has three major drivers: Decarbonisation, Decentralisation and Digitalisation. Decarbonisation of electricity has, in part, been delivered by the emergence of renewable technologies into the mainstream markets. The electrification of heat and transport will also allow these sectors to be decarbonised. Decentralisation is gathering momentum as small-scale technologies are adopted into local communities. Digitalisation will empower people, individually or collectively in organisations, to interact in new ways and with new products. The digital world provides greater utility in electricity use, but it also consumes considerable electricity resources.
Overall, nuclear power performs less well than wind and solar technologies when assessed across a range of factors; nuclear does perform better in some areas, while the renewable technologies perform better in others. However, if the overriding need is for large volumes of low-carbon electricity, then nuclear power is a very good option.
