As early as January, nuclear power plants and natural gas could become part of the European Union’s taxonomy as so-called green energy sources. In particular, the inclusion of nuclear energy among clean facilities can significantly help some Member States to meet their climate targets.
The European Commission’s proposal envisages the inclusion of energy sources using nuclear power and natural gas among the greens with several conditions. In the case of nuclear power, the plant must obtain a construction permit before 2045.
For energy sources using natural gas, only those that produce less than 270 grams of carbon dioxide per equivalent of one kilowatt-hour of energy will be labeled as clean. In addition, such a source must replace another that pollutes the climate more. In addition, it must obtain a construction permit before 2030. Last but not least, by 2035 it will have to switch to using gas with lower CO2 emissions.
Both nuclear power and natural gas will only be included in the EU taxonomy as transitional resources. That means those, which are not fully sustainable, but have lower greenhouse gas emissions than the average of the entire energy sector. The inclusion of nuclear power and natural gas among clean sources also means that they can receive support from public budgets.
