As low-carbon as wind.
12g CO₂e/kWh
This global median includes construction, fuel, electricity generation and decommissioning.
Source: IPCC AR5 ↗
Nuclear Vision Portugal
The nuclear option. A debate Portugal needs to have.
We are a Portuguese environmental group. We believe the nuclear option should be assessed rigorously as part of a low-carbon electricity system.
Read our positionOur position
Portugal deserves to assess every option.
We want an electricity system that is clean, secure and ready for the future. Reactors can work alongside solar, wind and hydro to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
You do not have to agree with us from the start. Compare the evidence, explore the questions and form your own view.
Why nuclear?
What the evidence shows.
Three figures explained for people who do not work in the sector. Each compares the same amount of electricity.
Produces close to its maximum across the year.
≈90% of the annual potential maximum
This global median by site compares actual electricity generation with the theoretical maximum in one year. Maintenance outages are included.
Source: INL/DOE ↗Among the safest sources of electricity.
0.03estimated deaths/TWh
This global estimate combines accidents and air pollution. Nuclear, solar and wind have very low figures; fossil fuels are far higher.
Source and method: Our World in Data ↗After the figures
Three reasons to keep this option on the table.
No single source can run an electricity system alone. The question is what each one adds to the whole.
Low-carbon electricity when it is needed.
Solar and wind vary with the weather. Reactors can provide continuous generation and work alongside hydro, storage, grids and demand management to reduce gas and coal use.
One system, several technologies →Less exposure to imported fossil fuels.
Reactor fuel is highly concentrated and can be stored for long periods. This can offer predictability and reduce the electricity system’s exposure to swings in gas markets.
More options for Portugal →Look at the whole system, not only the plant.
Emissions, land, materials, grids, spent fuel and operating life belong in the same comparison. High energy density is an advantage; spent fuel requires rigorous management.
Benefits and constraints in the same assessment →Difficult questions
Legitimate concerns deserve complete answers.
Our position is clear, but believing in a technology does not remove its risks. We start with what we know, explain the limits and link to the source.
All questionsIt exists and requires rigorous management over long periods. Used reactor fuel is small in volume, solid, monitored and contained. Unlike pollution dispersed by burning fossil fuels, it remains inventoried and under the operator’s responsibility.
Read the full answer →No source of electricity has zero risk. When accidents and air pollution are compared per unit of electricity, nuclear, solar and wind are among the sources with the lowest estimated mortality.
Read the full answer →Costs and timescales vary widely between projects. Some recent projects have experienced serious delays and cost overruns; others were delivered more predictably. Financing, repeating the same design, industrial supply chains, team experience and management all make a difference.
Read the full answer →Portugal does not need to choose only one. Solar, wind, hydro, grids, storage, efficiency and firm generation meet different needs. The useful question is which combination cuts emissions securely, at a controlled cost and with less external dependence.
Read the full answer →Nuclear Vision Portugal
Our mission.
Nuclear Vision Portugal is an advocacy group supporting the nuclear option in Portugal and highlighting its role in tackling climate change.
Produce accessible information with evidence, context and sources for people who want to understand before taking a position.
Respond honestly to concerns about safety, spent fuel, costs and timescales.
Create space for students, professionals, decision-makers and citizens to discuss this technology without slogans or taboos.
About NVP
Who we are and what we do.
We are an environmental group founded in 2023. We support the nuclear option as an important response to climate change. Our goals are to explain its benefits, challenge misconceptions and reopen the debate about this technology in Portugal.
We have taken part in events including COP28 and follow developments in reactor technology across Europe and around the world.
A first step
Follow NVP.
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