A chara, – The Environmental Protection Agency has projected that Ireland will exceed its 2020 carbon emissions target by up to 4 million tonnes at a cost of about €100 million. This cost could be avoided by replacing the coal-fired Moneypoint station, due to be phased out in 2025, with a nuclear facility. Five million tonnes of carbon per year would be saved as compared to coal, and over 2.5 million tonnes as compared to a gas-fired plant.
Supporting evidence is provided in the EU where nuclear energy is established as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels in 14 of the 28 EU member states: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
In our case, the reduction in carbon emissions will require legislative change to allow nuclear generation of electricity, and thus moderate climate change. – Is mise,
PAUL B McNULTY,
Dublin 14.