During an appearance on the German political talkshow „Farbe bekennen“, AfD-chairwoman Alice Weidel states that nuclear energy is CO₂-neutral (08:33). This claim relies on the fact that the actual process of nuclear energy production does not cause any carbon emissions. However, regarding the entire lifespan of a nuclear energy plant and the carbon emissions that are being produced during construction and the processing of uranium, it becomes clear that describing nuclear energy as CO₂-neutral is misleading, making the claim mostly false.
Current political relevance
While the discussion surrounding nuclear energy can be described as one that dates back to decades ago, its political relevance has not declined. The controversial question, whether governments should prioritize safety and environmental concerns by banning nuclear plants, or should view nuclear energy as a reliable, CO₂-friendly alternative to fossile fuels, is still a highly debated and emotionally charged subject. The German right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which has a history of expressing climate change-denying statements, demands putting a stop to the expansion of wind turbines. Moreover, during a speech on the AfD-party congress in Riesa in 2025, chairwoman Alice Weidel promised potential voters to „rip down all wind turbines“ once the party has been elected. Such statements and claims demand a critical analysis, since they play a relevant part in the AfDs campaign against a variety of political measures that are essential in order to fight climate change.
Nuclear energy production
According to a variety of sources, such as a 2007 report published by the Öko-Institut e.V. , there are no carbon emissions directly being produced during the process of nuclear energy production. It has to be mentioned, however, that the production of nuclear energy involves the mining and processing of uranium ore, as well as the enrichment of uranium and fuel fabrication. These so called upstream processes are also essential to the production of fossile and biomass fuels.
Moreover, the construction of nuclear plants requires materials such as concrete, copper and steel. The energy expended within those processes (which is often times derived from fossile fuels), as well as chemical reactions during material processing (such as the production of concrete) are additionally causing the emission of greenhouse gasses.
In conclusion, these findings can be summarized by saying that nuclear plants indirectly produce CO₂, as well as other greenhouse gasses. In order to explore and compare the greenhouse gas balance of nuclear energy and other forms of energy production, it is essential to pay attention to the required infrastructure surrounding the construction of nuclear plants and the mining and processing of uranium. It also should be mentioned that the carbon dioxide balance of nuclear plants can differ due to different generations of power plant technology and the quality of uranium ore.
Uranium upstream chain
Due to the fact that uranium is being mined in different geographical locations and using varying technologies, one should take a differentiated look at the greenhouse gas balances of different countries. According to the calculations implemented by the Öko-Insitut, the greenhouse gas balance of the provision of uranium fuel assemblies in German nuclear plants amounts to 8,9g per kilowatt hour involving all forms of greenhouse gasses and to 8,5 g/kWh regarding only carbon emissions. Nuclear plants in the UK amount to 13,9 g/kWh with regards to CO₂-equivalents (all greenhouse gasses) and to 12,8 g/kWh regarding only CO₂. In France, only 1,3 g/kWh carbon dioxide and 1,3 g/kWh CO₂-equivalents are being produced by nuclear plants, which can be explained by the fact that for the enrichment of uranium, a high amount of nuclear power is being used.
Carbon emissions in comparison to other forms of energy production
Due to the complex process chains involved in different forms of energy production, calculations regarding the carbon emissions of different energy sources tend to come to varying results. According to assesments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2014, nuclear energy plants are estimated to emit 4 to 110g CO₂-equivalents per kilowatt hour.
According to calculations conducted by the Öko-Institut, which incorporate upstream processes and construction, the greenhouse gas balance of „typical“ German nuclear plants using enriched uranium from different sourcing countries amounts to 32 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents and 31 g/kWh carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, German nuclear plants sourcing their uranium soley from Russia emit around 65 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents and 61 g/kWh carbon dioxide. In comparison to the greenhouse gas balance of fossile fuels, such as lignite (1153 g/kWHh CO₂ equivalents, 1142 g/kWh CO₂) and imported hard coal (949 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents, 897 g/kWh CO₂), these figures are relatively low. Renewable energy sources, such as windfarms (onshore: 24 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents, 23 g/kWh CO₂, offshore: 23 g/kWh CO₂ euquivalents, 22 g/kWh CO₂) and imported solar power (27 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents, 25 g/kWh CO₂) tend to have an even lower greenhouse gas balance, with the exception of solar cells (101 g/kWh CO₂ equivalents, 89 g/kWh CO₂), which can be explained by the initial greenhouse gasses emitted during the construction process.
Conclusion
The claim that nuclear energy is CO₂ neutral is misleading and therefore mostly false. In order to evaluate the CO₂-balance of an energy source, one has to consider the carbon emissions produced over its entire lifespan. While nuclear plants do not directly produce CO₂ and have a similar carbon dioxide balance to solar and wind power once they are in service, the construction process, as well as the mining and processing of uranium involve significant amounts of greenhouse gas production. In comparison to the carbon dioxide balance of fossile fuels, however, nuclear plants perform considerably more climate-friendly.
RESEARCH | ARTICLE © Sita Rumpel | Hochschule der Medien, Stuttgart , Germany
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