Energy security of supply for Europe: the nuclear option

Security of energy supply for Europe is an increasing source of discussion and research as western Europe consistently depends upon the supply of fossil fuels from other regions in the world. This paper briefly analyses the main routes Europe presently exploits to fulfil its energy demand and then focuses on the strategies it applies to rule over energy storages. It appears that, while fossil fuels storage strategies are conceived to overcome short duration shortages, nuclear energy would allow for a longer period autonomy as the storage of nuclear material at the plant facility is usually energetically greater than the corresponding storage of oil. This allows to conclude that the nuclear option can improve energy security in Europe. Paper presented at the 4thInternational Conference of Ecosystems (ICE2014)Tirana, Albania, May 23 - 26, 2014