During Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to the United Kingdom this month, overshadowed by the British media’s obsession with the French president’s glamorous new wife, the French and the British governments not only decided to usher in a new era with the declaration of an “Entente Formidable” but also underlined their desire to cooperate on a whole host of issues, in particular a new generation of nuclear power plants by sharing information on safety, security and waste disposal. Sarkozy emphasised that both Britain and France “understand that nuclear energy is the energy of the future”.

France, of course, is the world leader when it comes to nuclear technology. Around 79 per cent of France’s energy requirements are met by nuclear energy. But Britain is also gradually moving towards nuclear energy in a big way with a significant expansion in its nuclear power industry. Currently, Britain has 23 nuclear reactors that provide around 20 per cent of the nation’s electricity. The British government is now calling for the creation of a £20 billion industry with 100,000 new jobs and wants to make the UK “the gateway to a new nuclear renaissance across Europe.” It has already approved plans to replace its ageing nuclear plants and emerged as a priority market for the nuclear power industry.

After decades of being ostracised by policymakers, nuclear energy is coming back to the mainstream and with a bang. Faced with rising oil process and growing concerns about climate change, nations are giving the nuclear energy option a serious consideration. There is a new enthusiasm for nuclear energy at a time when concerns about curbing global warming and energy security have become paramount. Even in Germany, there are attempts to have a rethink on nuclear policy as it finds itself caught between its pledge to eliminate nuclear power and its pledge to slash carbon emissions.

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