Europe Nuclear Energy (TV) -- USAGM
Metadata
- Europe Nuclear Energy (TV) -- USAGM
- May 5, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script Europe Nuclear Energy (TV) HEADLINE: Ukraine, Climate Goals Push Some in Europe to Reconsider Nuclear TEASER: France leads the pack with plans to build up to 14 new power stations PUBLISHED AT: Thursday, 05/05/2022 at 630pm BYLINE: Lisa Bryant DATELINE: Paris VIDEOGRAPHER: Lisa Bryant VIDEO EDITOR: PRODUCER: SCRIPT EDITORS: BR, MAS VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AFP, Reuters PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __ TRT: 3:40 VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO)) [[There is renewed interest nuclear energy in Europe driven in part by climate goals but also the war in Ukraine – especially as the European Union moves to cut all energy ties with Russia. But tapping nuclear power remains expensive, time consuming and deeply controversial. For VOA, Lisa Bryant takes a look at the debate from Paris.]] Europe /Nuclear Energy shots 1 ((SHOTS — FRENCH FESSENHEIM NUCLEAR PLANT — AFP)) ((NARRATOR)) Not so long ago, France’s aging nuclear reactors seemed headed for retirement. President Emmanuel Macron had called for closing more than a dozen of the country’s 56 reactors by 2035, and sharply reducing nuclear’s share in the country’s electricity mix. But earlier this year, that changed. ((Shot — EMMANUEL MACRON SPEECH (MALE/FRENCH)- REUTERS ) ((Emmanuel Macron, French President)) "What our country needs, and the conditions are there, is the rebirth of France's nuclear industry.” ((SHOTS — VARIOUS NUCLEAR PLANTS (Reuters) ((NARRATOR)) Now, along with boosting green energy, Macron wants to build up to 14 nuclear plants in the coming decades….and he’s not alone. ((SHOT — BELGIUM NUCLEAR PLANTS — AFP)) Belgium recently decided to extend the life of its two nuclear reactors by a decade—delaying plans to fully exit nuclear energy. ((SHOTS— people working inside NUCLEAR REACTORS (GENERIC)— AFP)) Poland and Romania are eyeing smaller, cutting-edge reactors that are quicker and cheaper to build than traditional ones. ((SHOT — BORIS JOHNSON VISITING NUCLEAR POWER PLANT — REUTERS)) Britain also plans to build new plants — even as it retires most of its aging fleet in the coming years. ((SHOT: Brent Wanner, International Energy Agency (Note to EDS: full title is Head of the World Energy Outlook Power Sector Unit )) - English - VOA Original)) ((Brent Wanner, International Energy Agency)) “Certainly, the current global energy situations, Russia’s war on Ukraine, are driving interest — really making countries review their own plans for how they can then move away from external or imported sources of energy.” ((Europe Nuclear Energy shots 2)) ((Shots — Generic nuclear reactors; Gazprom pipeline V000_32932LT & EU flags — all AFP)) ((NARRATOR)) Worldwide, the International Energy Agency says the nuclear industry must nearly double in size to help meet demand as well as global climate change goals. The European Union is especially under pressure to find low-carbon alternatives to Russian oil and gas. France, the EU’s largest nuclear energy producer, led the lobby to put nuclear on Brussels’ list of climate-friendly sources. ((MORE NUCLEAR FOOTAGE HERE; FOLO WITH shots of EU coal production)) Nuclear should be seen as part of a larger energy mix to help Europe transition to a carbon-free future, says the IEA’sWanner. ((SHOT: Brent Wanner 2 - VOA Original)) ((Brent Wanner, International Energy Agency)) “We need a very broad suite of low-emission technologies. Renewables will definitely lead the way. Wind and solar PV (Photovoltaic) are now two of the cheapest options for new electricity, new sources of electricity.” ((SHOT — ANTI-NUCLEAR DEMOS, SEGUE TO GERMAN NUCLEAR REACTOR — REUTERS)) ((NAT SOUND BREAK)) ((NARRATOR)) For some countries, however, nuclear energy is not an option. Germany, highly dependent on Russian energy, still plans to shut its three remaining nuclear plants by the year’s end. ((NUKE DEMOS - GREENPEACE/FRENCH PLANT - AFP (V000_327C69R)) Environmental activists say countries like France should do the same. ((SHOT: ZELIE VICTOR, CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK FRANCE - VOA ORIGINAL - ENGLISH)) ((Zelie Victor, Climate Action Network France)) “There is an alternative to nuclear energy. And that’s why we need to invest on this 100 percent renewable mix, electricity and energy. Because for us, nuclear is not a safe energy.” ((SHOT: FUKUSHIMA — AFP V000_VID329878_EN)) ((NARRATOR)) Since Japan’s Fukushima accident, more than a decade ago, experts say the nuclear industry has shored up safety. ((SHOT: Russian soldiers at Chernobyl - AFP V000_329B9KA)) Less clear is how well reactors can sustain military offensives — like in Ukraine. ((SHOT: Flammanville Reactor — AFP)) Europe also needs energy now. While newer models have shorter construction timelines, they still take years to build. ((SHOTS — French nuke waste transport- AFP V000_VID382653_EN)) Finding long-term solutions for Europe’s nuclear waste is another problem. ((shot: WANNER 3 — VOA Original)) ((Brent Wanner, International Energy Agency)) “There’s only one country that’s constructing a nuclear waste facility, and two others that are pursuing it very soon…. ///cut in with more shots of nuke waste transport — to fill in the jump — lined them up after Wanner's soundbite//...But that’s a real challenge.” ((Generic - Solar, hydrogen (buses) & nuclear — AFP)) ((NARRATOR)) But with current production limits to solar and wind — and other options like hydrogen still nascent — nuclear is likely to remain in Europe’s energy mix for the years…and decades…to come. ((Lisa Bryant, for VOA News, Paris))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Location (dateline) Paris
- Embargo Date May 5, 2022 16:20 EDT
- Byline ((Lisa Bryant, for VOA News, Paris))
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English