Will Europe have enough water to cool the nuclear plants of the future?

The European Union is betting on nuclear power as a replacement for coal generation and a way to reduce dependence on imported energy resources. Under EU plans, the capacity of conventional nuclear power plants is set to grow by nearly nine percent by 2050 — from today's 98 GW to 109 GW — with small modular reactors (SMRs) potentially adding up to another 53 GW.

However, these ambitious plans face a serious obstacle — water. As Czech environmental expert Jan Palaščák points out, cooling existing and new reactors is becoming increasingly expensive. A dry cooling system costs four times more than a circulating one, which in turn is significantly pricier than direct-flow cooling, which draws water straight from rivers and seas.

A problem swept under the rug for years

According to the expert, when the environmental impact assessment (EIA) was drawn up for the new units at the Dukovany nuclear plant, the real state of water resources was deliberately painted in a rosier light. The calculations assumed that old and new units would operate simultaneously, while on paper the small Jihlava River was essentially transformed into a mighty Siberian Yenisei — all just to formally justify the sufficiency of water resources.

The expert draws a parallel with the situation on the Danube, whose water level has repeatedly dropped to critical lows in recent years due to droughts. The drying Danube is a clear sign that the climate crisis is far from over — and has, in effect, ruled out direct-flow cooling of nuclear plants as a reliable technology for the future.

What the nuclear industry should do

Palaščák believes nuclear power is an essential tool in the fight against climate change — a view shared by well-known American businessman Bill Gates. But the industry itself must adapt to new climatic realities rather than ignore them for the sake of political convenience.

Technically, it is entirely possible to cool new nuclear power plants without drawing water directly from rivers, the expert stresses. Moreover, the more technologies and companies compete within the so-called "nuclear renaissance," the more cost-effective new engineering solutions for reactor cooling will become.

Around Prague, based on reporting by ekolist.cz