The Auditorium of the Campus Tecnológico e Nuclear (CTN) in Loures hosted a screening of the documentary ‘Nuclear Now!’ by renowned director and film-maker Oliver Stone, followed by a round table discussion on the importance of nuclear energy in the fight against climate change. The session was held on 27th March and brought together 140 participants.

The documentary defends the adoption of nuclear energy as a safe and efficient solution to combat the climate crisis and guarantee a sustainable future, highlighting that it can make a significant contribution to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the decarbonisation of the global energy sector.

But is it true? To answer this question, the screening was followed by a debate moderated by Marta Almeida, Vice-President of Instituto Superior Técnico for the management of CTN and a researcher at the Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN), which brought together Técnico researchers in the field. Advances in nuclear energy were discussed, including nuclear fusion, the challenges related to nuclear waste and the role of nuclear energy in the energy transition, especially in the Portuguese context.

Bruno Gonçalves, a researcher and president of the Institute for Plasmas and Nuclear Fusion (IPFN), emphasised that more than convincing people, it is necessary to open their minds to the understanding that nuclear energy is a valid and effective alternative for tackling the climate crisis. ‘Nuclear energy has an extremely low carbon footprint when analysing the life cycle of all energy sources – even solar and wind energy require large quantities of materials, resulting in considerable environmental impacts’, explained the researcher.

José Marques, a professor at Técnico and Deputy Director of the Laboratory of Nuclear Engineering considered that the documentary oversimplifies the issue, comparing it to a ‘fairy tale’ that doesn’t deal in depth with the complex challenges related to nuclear energy, such as safety and waste management. Furthermore, he considered that ‘nuclear energy is not enough to combat climate change’, he said, criticising the film’s overly optimistic vision.

Nuno Barradas, a consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency and researcher at the Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias Nucleares (C2TN), argued that resistance to the use of nuclear energy is often the result of prejudice and misinformation. ‘The fear of radiation is disproportionate, considering that the pollution generated by fossil fuels kills millions of people every year, while nuclear energy has caused far fewer deaths over 50 years’, he underlined. He also warned of the potential dangers associated with nuclear accidents in war zones, as evidenced by the events in Ukraine.

The debate also addressed the challenges related to nuclear waste. Bruno Gonçalves explained that although the waste is radioactive, the amount generated is relatively small: ‘It is estimated that if the electricity consumed by a Portuguese person over 80 years was of nuclear origin, it would produce the equivalent of a third of a can of soft drink in nuclear waste.’ Furthermore, it is the industry that best monitors the management of its waste.

Portugal was also the subject of the discussion. Marta Almeida asked about the role that the Portuguese Research Reactor played in the country’s technical and scientific development. José Marques reflected on the history of nuclear energy in Portugal, recalling that despite having access to cutting-edge technology in the 1950s, the country was unable to continue investing in the area. ‘The reactor has been idle since 2016 and will never be put back into operation,’ he lamented.

Frederico Carvalho, a retired researcher who played a crucial role in the genesis and operation of the Portuguese Research Reactor, attended the session and emphasised the importance of nuclear energy in achieving the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The session ended with a reflection on renewable energies and the need for a balanced approach to the energy transition. Bruno Gonçalves criticised news reports that confuse installed capacity with actual energy production, while José Marques highlighted the challenges of implementing nuclear energy in the context of a country with limitations like Portugal.