Israel’s Energy Ministry published a blueprint Thursday aimed at eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — and part of the plan involves the production of electricity from nuclear energy.
An initial road map published by the ministry in 2021 called for an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector by 2050, compared to emissions levels in 2015.
Israel’s National Planning and Construction Council recently approved new regulations mandating the installation of solar energy systems to produce renewable energy in every new non-residential building, according to Israel’s Channel N12 News.
The blueprint, published for public comment, focuses on diversifying the development of renewable and clean energy to ensure continuity of Israel’s energy supply in future years.
The outline focuses on an electricity demand model based on past usage trends, existing policies and other elements in the Israeli system.
The ministry said the model includes all sectors in the Israeli energy arena, including households, transportation, industry and trade sectors.
The demand for electricity in the Jewish State is expected to triple by 2050, and accelerate further in future years due to industrial and transportation transitions to the use of electricity instead of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal.
The transition model is based on three options:
1. renewable energies including solar energy
2. blue hydrogen produced from natural gas and carbon capture
3. nuclear energy.
Two large nuclear power plants will be required or several smaller plants around the country if nuclear energy is used to produce electricity. But there are numerous complex challenges involved with this approach, and therefore the outline notes the requirement of “a deep public discussion that will examine all aspects of using this technology in Israel and support its establishment.”
The outline adds that “as nuclear fusion technologies are developed, which are safer and cleaner, it will be possible to make similar use of them as well.”
During last year’s COP28 climate conference held in Dubai, for the first time nuclear energy was included as a solution for dealing with the climate crisis, a position similar to that in the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s emissions reset scenario.
All three of the above options ultimately rely on solar energy as the main source of electricity but there are differences in the usage rate, and all include the continued use of natural gas for both energy production and production of “blue hydrogen.”
Blue hydrogen is produced mainly from natural gas, using a process called steam reforming, which brings together natural gas and heated water in the form of steam, according to National Grid.
According to Shell Global, blue hydrogen is a common term for decarbonized hydrogen, which is hydrogen that is manufactured by natural gas reforming coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Blue hydrogen, often described as being a form of low-carbon hydrogen, could solve the energy transfer issue for renewables and be used in fuel cells to produce electricity for power generation, transport and domestic heating, according to the Zurich Insurance Group. It is seen as one way to help solve the “climate crisis.”
Israel’s Energy Ministry said the months since the start of the October 7th war have proved Israel’s need to ensure energy independence — and said solar energy will enable that effort.
