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Making a positive contribution to reducing carbon emissions
28 July 2021
Last year, we enriched enough uranium to generate an estimated 780,000 GWh of electricity from nuclear power, avoiding approximately 320 million tonnes of carbon emissions.
This was one of our key contributions to achieving net zero highlighted in our newly published Sustainability Report and it clearly demonstrates the impact that Urenco and nuclear power have on meeting climate change goals.
Current energy challenges are dominated by the climate crisis and the need to decarbonise our economies. We believe that nuclear power can and should play an important role in the clean energy transition, as achieving a sustainable energy system and meeting our ambitious climate targets will be much harder without existing nuclear power and investment in new nuclear.
Urenco CEO, Boris Schucht, said: “I believe that, for electricity systems with a significant renewables component in the mix, seasonal storage is needed due to the intermittency issue. Therefore, we are currently seeing the first countries starting to develop hydrogen or power-to-gas concepts as alternatives. Also, some sectors, such as haulage, steel production or cement production, will be very difficult to decarbonise without hydrogen and perhaps other synthetic fuels, and nuclear can assist with their efficient and low carbon production.
I strongly feel that nuclear power perfectly complements energy generated from renewables in a net zero world and the uses of hydrogen for the decarbonisation of several sectors. These three technologies belong together and they are the future of energy systems.”
Read Urenco’s Sustainability Report.
About Urenco
Urenco is an international supplier of enrichment services and fuel cycle products with sustainability at the core of its business. Operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for 50 years, Urenco facilitates zero carbon electricity generation for consumers around the world.
With its head office near London, UK, Urenco’s global presence ensures diversity and security of supply for customers through enrichment facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Using centrifuge technology designed and developed by Urenco, and through the expertise of our people, the Urenco Group provides safe, cost effective and reliable services; operating within a framework of high environmental, social and governance standards, complementing international safeguards.
Urenco is committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
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