Despite worldwide efforts to transition from coal to cleaner alternatives such as wind and solar, coal consumption is rising across the globe. Critical energy shortages and soaring prices forced many European and Asian nations to turn back to coal as they scrambled to secure alternative energy sources and shore up supplies.
China, which is the largest polluter on the globe, embarked on a historic coal-mine-approval run in 2022 and permitted an average of two new coal plants per week.
In the meantime, some nations are considering retrofitting old coal mines with advanced nuclear technology to boost their clean-energy supplies with nuclear power. A recent event at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Atoms4Climate pavilion featured speakers from the United States, Canada and Romania sharing their plans and experience with repurposing discontinued coal sites into nuclear-power-generation facilities.
Such projects could help coal-dependent nations move away from the dirty fuel and keep coal mines and their surrounding communities economically productive. Canadian province Ontario has made significant strides in this theater and is a prime example of how to efficiently decarbonize power production and significantly reduce air pollution by replacing coal with nuclear energy.
Ontario shut down its last coal facility in 2014, then the province swiftly retrofitted refurbished nuclear-energy reactors at the site. As a result, Ontario has cut down power generation emissions from 230 grams of CO2 per kWh to around 25g of carbon dioxide for every kWh, which is well below the 50 grams benchmark set under the Paris Agreement.
Pat Dalzell, executive director of corporate affairs for nuclear power operator Bruce Power, said the province also massively improved its air quality and changed the sky to blue from orange in only 15 years, mostly due to nuclear-power production. Dalzell notes that the eight nuclear reactors in Ontario have created around 22,000 job opportunities and are expected to create an additional 5,000 employment opportunities if authorities extend the operating lifetimes of the reactors.
While the U.S. and Romania still have a ways to go before they catch up to Canada, they are also planning on replacing coal with nuclear energy as their primary sources of power because it is a relatively low-carbon power source that can provide energy 24/7. Since coal- and nuclear-plant supply chains are relatively similar, such a transition would ensure that jobs are preserved and existing infrastructure can still be used without the need for major modifications.
The repurposing also means that employees of coal companies such as Warrior Met Coal Inc. (NYSE: HCC) can find alternative employment in their cities and towns once coal companies wind down their operations.
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