Nuclear energy remains vital to cope with rising energy demand, mainly in emerging economies, fight global warming and avert increased damage to the environment, the IEA warned on Wednesday. The IEA also warned that global nuclear generation capacity could fall by 15.0 percent by 2035 if countries such as Germany and Belgium pressed ahead with cutting their nuclear output in the light of the nuclear accident at Fukushima in Japan in April. A pullback from nuclear production, amid a rise in demand for energy, was likely to drive countries towards increased use of coal and gas, and therefore to generating extra carbon pollution with a devastating effect on the environment. The energy independence of nuclear-power producing countries would also be in danger because their sources of supply would be reduced, the International Energy Agency said.
And the price of non-nuclear sources of energy would rise sharply, the IEA said, forecasting that in any case global oil demand was set to grow by 14.0 percent by 2035, pulled by China and emerging economies. Oil prices could rise to 120 dollars per barrel, the IEA said in its annual report and it warned that the world had to change the way it was consuming energy. “Without a bold change of policy direction, the world will lock itself into an insecure, inefficient and high-carbon energy system,” IEA executive director Maria van der Hoeven said in the 24-page report. “Growth, prosperity and rising population will inevitably push up energy needs over the coming decades.” “But we cannot continue to rely on insecure and environmentally unsustainable use of energy,” Van der Hoeven added.
