Elon Musk has urged for an increase in Europe’s nuclear energy output, citing concerns about a gas scarcity as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Sunday evening, Musk tweeted that it is “extremely obvious” that Europe should reactivate dormant nuclear power reactors and increase the production of those that are active.
“This is critical to national and international security,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated. Along with its electric vehicle division, Tesla has a sustainable energy company.
According to a Bloomberg compilation of statistics from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Industry Status Report, Europe is on track to have 102 closed nuclear reactors by the end of this year.
According to the International Energy Agency, Russia supplies around one-third of Europe’s gas needs. As countries transition to renewable energy, the continent has grown to rely on Russian natural-gas supplies as a transition fuel. However, the transition to renewables has been too slow for the EU to reduce its dependency on Russian gas, as Business Insider analyzed in late February.
Germany, in particular, relies on Russia for more than half of its gas needs, as the nation has been phased out of nuclear energy after the March 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. Germany’s final three nuclear facilities are scheduled to retire by the end of 2022, but the government is reportedly considering postponing its planned withdrawal from nuclear energy and coal, according to Reuters on February 27.
Musk stated that “nuclear is significantly superior” than burning fossil fuels in terms of global warming. According to the US Office of Nuclear Energy, nuclear energy is a zero-emission clean energy source.
Musk’s request for additional nuclear energy in Europe comes only two days after he advocated for an increase in US oil and gas output to compensate for any reduction in Russian supply.