To reduce emissions and reach climate goals, countries worldwide are looking to keep their nuclear reactors running for far longer than expected.
Many of the world’s reactors are already scheduled to run far beyond the typical 40-year lifespan. Operators are pushing to keep some reactors running for as long as 80 years. According to Bloomberg, researchers are even considering whether the machines can keep generating electricity for 100 years.
A few years ago, generating power from a century-old reactor was unthinkable. But the U.S. and the European Union have committed to cutting greenhouse gas pollution by at least 50 percent by 2030, and more than 70 nations have set net-zero targets. Pressure is mounting to find ways to meet those targets – and fast. That’s forcing the world to weigh the risks of nuclear power, which has no carbon emissions, against uncontrolled climate change and natural disasters. Bloomberg said.
