Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the name 18for0 come from?​

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Our research shows that adding 18% nuclear to the planned 80% electricity from renewables by 2030 would deliver zero carbon emissions faster and at much lower cost than by simply extending renewables. Nuclear could be operating here by 2040

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Why is removing the ban important?

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Nuclear energy is not being properly considered in Ireland, partly because legislation surrounding nuclear energy prevents State bodies from conducting research. After all, why spend time and money researching a technology that is not permitted in Ireland?

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Starting a discussion about removing the ban could have a genuine impact on the conversation about Ireland's clean energy transition, which has not received the attention that it needs. The current plan falls short of the ambition of the 2018 Citizens Assembly on "How the State can make Ireland a leader in tackling climate change". A debate would encourage us to determine a more certain plan towards full decarbonisation of electricity by 2040.

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How would the ban be removed?

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The legislation that prohibits nuclear energy development in Ireland is contained in two simple paragraphs that could easily be removed by a Dáil vote. Click to contact your local TD here

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What is the ban on nuclear in Ireland?

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There are two relevant pieces of legislation. Legislation against operating a nuclear fission power plant in Ireland in contained in the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act, while legislation against developing a nuclear fission power plant here is contained in the 2000 Planning and Development Act, the 2006 Strategic Infrastructure Act and the 2024 Planning and Development Act.

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Where did the bans come from?

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Contrary to popular belief, there is no constitutional ban on nuclear energy in Ireland.

 

In fact, the people of Ireland were never consulted on the decision to prohibit nuclear energy.

 

The clause against a nuclear power plant being permitted was added to the 1999 legislation at the instigation of a Green Party TD. It resulted from his proposed amendment to define ‘alternative' as meaning “any renewable, sustainable energy sources and shall include wind, hydro, biomass, waste, tidal, solar and wave etc. but not nuclear fission."

 

He went on to say that the amendment “excludes nuclear fission because some of those engaged in the nuclear industry would like to jump on that bandwagon and call themselves alternatives because they are not dealing with fossil fuel. The provision should state explicitly that our national policy is that there will be no nuclear power here”.

 

The 2006 legislation was a consequence of the 1999 legislation, and has been brought into the 2024 Planning And Development Act.

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Where would nuclear stations be located?

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Previous work by ESB in the 1970s identified five sites in Ireland as being suitable for a nuclear power station. Those sites could be assessed for their suitability for a modern nuclear power station, and other sites are very likely to now also be suitable.

 

All coal and peat plants, and several gas plants, are scheduled to close before 2030. These sites and their surroundings should be explored as potential areas for development, tapping into existing local engineering skill sets and an existing grid infrastructure.

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Do we have the manpower and skills?

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Yes; Ireland already has much of the technical capability to develop a robust nuclear energy programme, and additional human resources could be acquired through recruiting and training of national and international personnel. There is an abundance of international experience in retraining fossil fuel power plant workers into the nuclear industry.

 

An 18% nuclear power programme in Ireland could directly provide 1300 high-skilled, long-term domestic jobs, in addition to approximately 4000 ancillary jobs. This would present an excellent opportunity to continue the post COVID-19 economic recovery.

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Would costs increase?

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No; our study shows that the cost of electricity would reduce if 18% nuclear energy was added to 70% renewables after 2030.

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Can we not just use renewables?

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There is no evidence that a 100% renewables system would be reliable or affordable and at present is not technically feasible in Ireland. Furthermore, there currently is no plan to develop in excess of 80% low carbon electricity.

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Is nuclear suited to Ireland?

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Yes; nuclear power plants are now available that could easily integrate into Ireland’s relatively small power grid.

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What about safety?

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Despite the 3 significant nuclear power station accidents to date (at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima), nuclear energy is statistically the safest way to produce large amounts of electricity. Three Mile Island and Fukushima caused no measurable health impacts from excessive radiation, and nobody died from radiation exposure as a result of those accidents.

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Chernobyl caused many fatalities and injuries because it was badly designed and operated, and reactors of that design are no longer used anywhere in the world. Any reactor permitted in Ireland would need to meet the most modern design standards and be operated to the highest international best practices.

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Modern reactors are designed to ensure incidents do not lead to radiation leaks escaping beyond the power station perimeter. 

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What about the waste?

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Perhaps surprisingly, leaving current waste above ground has led to a total of zero injuries to people in the 60 years of nuclear energy to date, so there is technically no mad rush to put nuclear waste permanently out of use.

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Although the solutions now coming into operation involve burying it where it can stay underground safely for many thousands of years, new reactors types are expected to use existing waste as a fuel. They will extract plenty more clean energy from what used to be called 'waste', and leave waste that doesn’t stay as radioactive for as long as the original waste.

 

So, ‘"it’s only waste if we waste it".

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What about Sellafield?

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Ireland's nuclear power sector would be very unlikely to use Sellafield in any way. As such, Sellafield is not relevant to whether Ireland should begin to use nuclear energy based in Ireland. We should, of course, continue to insist that Sellafield is operated to an acceptable standard and poses no significant additional risk to Ireland.

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