Renewables most useful of nuclear

"Nuclear? There is no prejudice in technology, but - as is planned - I feel more a mirror for birds. For at least three good reasons, if not removed, everything would be read as improvisation "said Giacomo Berni, national secretary of Filcem - the Federation of Workers of chemistry, energy and manufacturing of Cgil - at the opening of the congress' Energy constraints, choices, opportunities", held today in Rome at Palazzo Marini. The first. The claims that more than 20 years ago 'we brought to referendum (catastrophic risk, waste storage) are today - said Berni - still valid': Italy then instead maintain - as is required by law - a 'garrison Research has abandoned this technology and, if we exclude the activities of disposal sites conducted by Sogin (of which are being asked inexplicably - adds Berni - the dismemberment and the Commissioner), did not produce absolutely nothing.
The second. Through a lot of ease, in the "energy package" contained in the draft law 'development' linked to the financial maneuver "is expected - continued the Secretary - the creation of an Agency for Nuclear Safety too centralist, with powers as binding to represent a force against the involvement of local authorities, contradicting the need for neutrality and transparency of their authority should be required to provide guarantees to citizens on an issue which - needless to say - raises concern. "
The third. As to the thorny problem of costs, balances in hand, a third generation plant from 1600 Mw would cost 5 billion euros per section, including the cost of "decommissioning" which can no longer be called into account the state. The same length of the stage feasible of equipment (estimated at 8 years plus 2 procedures) determines - supports the Filcem-Cgil - uncertainty on the timing of return of bank finance, as well as the protracted time depreciation of equipment (at least 20 years) over time diluting any benefits for consumers.
The Filcem-Cgil instead launches a proposal: 'Why - Berni claims - do not concentrate in the short to medium term in the realization of photovoltaic and wind power plants that would benefit the country in the European targets, reducing the price of oil? " . The figures speak for the photovoltaic there are already 137 requests for parks, with a peak power for 2740 Mw; for wind power, for 1023 parks for a total power of 61,380 MW.
'And' realistic course - Berni suggests, borrowing an estimate made by a group of experts from the associations of consumers and producers of conventional - the creation within 3-5 years of 1.200-1.800 Mw photovoltaic and wind power 15.000-20.000 Mw (third the installed capacity).
These proposals useful for the country to break its dependence on "all oil" and "all gas", to achieve the objectives of Europe'20, 20, 20 'and the urgent need for a strategy of diversification of energy sources. "We have title to advance - continued Berni - precisely because we have strong support to the process of opening the energy market - still unfinished - and supported choices in support of" clean coal ", the gasification and the thermo ', so we facilitate reducing the cost of importing raw materials from which the country is known, does not have the energy bill is still very high: 46.6 billion euros a year (3% of GDP) with 57 % Of spending to buy oil!
"But today - questions the union leader - in the light of the financial tsunami, how can mitigate rising energy costs and impact on business and income of workers?". Two - the second-Cgil Filcem - the recipes are possible: 1) increasing efficiency and saving energy, both, are an essential instrument of government demand and stimulating investment in sectors such as solar, wind, the termoelettromeccanica, the chemical, construction, transport, and 2) to assess the possibility of cutting the tax on petroleum products, now well above 40% of their final cost. The objective of significant reduction of excise duty on fuel - concluded Berni - would be more effective suppression and healthy part of the purchasing power of wages for workers.