Michael Shellenberger and 27 renowned professors and environment groups have urged President Moon Jae-in to reconsider phasing out nuclear energy. / Screen captured from environmentalprogress



By Lee Han-soo

Michael Shellenberger, dubbed a "Hero of the Environment" by Time magazine, and 27 renowned professors and environment groups have urged President Moon Jae-in to reconsider phasing out nuclear energy.

"There is a strong consensus among climate policy experts that an expansion of nuclear energy will be required to significantly reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality," Shellenberger wrote in a letter Wednesday.

The letter also said that solar and wind power are not alternatives to nuclear power in Korea and the nation would need land five to 14 times that of Seoul to match the energy capacity generated by nuclear energy.

It said most other nations that reduced nuclear energy have turned to fossil fuel plants, which take little space and produce more energy than solar and wind.

As a result, it has led to higher emissions in nations like Germany, Japan and the U.S.

The letter also said that giving up nuclear energy would profoundly undermine the Korea Electric Power Corporation's (KEPCO) efforts to compete for nuclear construction contracts abroad.

"Buyer nations would rightly question why they should buy nuclear plants from a nation phasing out its nuclear energy," the letter said.

It noted that KEPCO's role in global competition for nuclear construction is important following the financial failures of French nuclear giant Areva and Japanese-owned and U.S.-based Westinghouse. If Korea starts phasing out nuclear energy, only Russia and China would be left to compete in the global market, the letter said.

"Over the last 20 years, South Korea has earned a global reputation for its ability to build well-tested and cost-effective nuclear plants," the letter said. "South Korea is the only nation where the cost of nuclear plant construction has declined over time."

The letter recommended that President Moon speak with a wide range of energy and environmental scientists and experts before making any final decision.