Montreal, September 2010

WEC 2010: Efficient and sustainable energy solutions are needed that also protect the environment, and nuclear energy needs to gain wide acceptance as a key contributor in the energy mix in the coming years, Anne Lauvergeon, Chief Executive Officer of AREVA, a French-based developer of nuclear energy installations and technology, said in a keynote address at the World Energy Congress Montréal 2010.

Energy is a driver of change in our society and economic growth and also of globalization, Lauvergeon said. "Energy supply security is at the forefront again. The situation has completely changed during the past decade because the world needs more energy and fewer green house gas emissions."

Since 2000, Germany, Sweden and Italy first renounced and then re-established nuclear energy. "There has been a renaissance of nuclear energy, people are talking of new construction," said Lauvergeon. What was unthinkable a few years ago is now different. Nuclear power is seen as key part of the energy mix."

In addition, the beginning of the decade saw only marginal discussion of renewable energy sources. This has dramatically changed over during the past few years. "We are facing a demographic explosion and this will lead to greater consumption of energy. The electricity component of energy output is growing at an increasing rate," Lauvergeon explained.

"If we want to lower emissions, we have to develop energies that do not emit – and that means renewable and nuclear energies," Lauvergeon said. "These two types of energy are compatible because nuclear is a constant source while most renewables are intermittent."

It is less expensive to install a wind farm than a nuclear plant, Lauvergeon explained, but the latter provides constant power while the former depends on wind conditions. "There has been much talk of the firm concept of the clean energy par: "These tend to be based on both nuclear and renewable energy. So these two sources go hand in hand, it is not just marketing."

While it is true a nuclear power plant is expensive to construct, over the long term nuclear power is a very competitive energy source, Lauvergeon said. Once on stream, power production costs are low compared to fossil fuel-burning installations because the price of uranium is relatively stable compared to fossil fuel prices. This is an attractive feature in favour of economic growth.

Energy supply is a key factor in economic development, but nothing will be accomplished without energy efficiency and research and development, Lauvergeon warned.

"During the past two years, we have seen various energy initiatives undertaken produced without much dialogue among stakeholders," Lauvergeon said. "Choices were made by a few, as opposed to the majority. But such decisions require dialogue among all stakeholders. Going forward, nothing should happen without wide acceptance. And the nuclear industry has major role to play in this process."

The industry must engage in reasonable dialogue with those who are perceived as its opponents, Lauvergeon said. "We have to accept those who do not accept us and understand their emotions. We have to be responsible in terms of security of the environment and also socially responsible. We have to build trust and ensure we can live together over the long term."

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrated that safety and environment policies must be at the heart of the energy producers' planning, Lauvergeon said. For example, she said the nuclear industry needs to ensure that plant silos are secure from everything from leaks to acts of aggression. "We have to harmonize international energy safety standards, and this is especially important for nuclear plants. We need similar global standards as for when aircraft are certified. In Europe, for example, there is no consistent energy policy and, now that the majority of European countries want to go nuclear, we are ending up with 27 different systems – while in China (with its greater population) there is a single standard."

In terms of disposal of nuclear waste, recycling technology already exists, Lauvergeon said. "We have solutions today and we need to deploy them as soon as possible. But we need public acceptance. We know how to recycle 96 per cent of spent fuel. The problem is the last 4 per cent. We know how to transform into an inactive form, but we have not resolved what to do with it."

Most countries with nuclear energy capability do not accept spent fuel from other countries, she said. When a country does offer to take on this responsibility, we must ensure there is no military risk, as this substance can be used to produce plutonium.

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