Quebec mulls relaunching nuclear plant as power demand grows

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
14 Aug 2023 23:07

The Canadian province is studying the option of resuming operations at its only nuclear power facility as it tries to pivot from fossil energy sources.

The Gentilly-2 nuclear power plant in Becancour, Quebec, Canada (Hydro-Quebec)

Growing demand for clean energy prompted Quebec to announce that resuming operations of its only nuclear plant remains a solid option, Global News reported on Monday, citing Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.

The province's hydroelectric utility said on Thursday that it is studying plans to relaunch Gentilly-2 NPP located in Becancour.

Fitzgibbon said according to the news site that all energy sources must remain within consideration as Quebec tries to shift away from using fossil fuels to generate power, yet cautioned that all energy projects must be socially acceptable and economically viable.

Established in 1983, Gentilly-2 NPP was closed down in 2012 due to high maintenance and refurbishing costs.

Canadian environmental activists and groups criticized the proposal, including Greenpeace Canada and opposition ministers, and urged the government to initiate a dialogue regarding the province's power future on a national level.

Nuclear power saw a new rise in popularity in the past year as countries look for alternatives with the cost of importing energy growing globally and climate crises causing devastation.

Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011—the worst nuclear accident since Chornobyl in 1986—led to a drop in nuclear power investment as governments ran terrified and safety concerns grew. But the Covid pandemic induced a supply chain crisis, which pushed non-energy-producing countries to fear events that might disrupt foreign energy supplies, and later the start of the war in Ukraine resulted in a global mood in favor of nuclear power - even at the cost of slowing preplanned transitions to net zero economies.

Although 32 countries presently use nuclear energy to produce 10% of the world's electricity, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) boosted its predictions in 2022 for the first time since the Fukushima tragedy. The IAEA forecasted that installed capacity to double by 2050 under the most favorable scenario.