Nuclear energy holds the key for us to kill carbon emissions

I AM glad Ivan Yates is flagging the impending substantial penalties for Ireland’s lack of progress in reducing emissions once we reach 2020 (‘Wind energy can provide a silver-bullet solution to €600m EU climate fines’, Irish Independent, February 9).

However, I disagree with him entirely about wind being the panacea he claims. Surely the fact we are a world leader in wind power while at the same time being “climate laggards” should tell him something. I don’t think he is doing the maths, which for a former bookie is a bit surprising.

What is his vision exactly? Is it 100pc intermittent renewables (wind/solar) or is it an intermittent renewables/natural gas mix which looks like the preferred option at present for our Government, with plans for LNG terminals being developed for Cork Port and Ballylongford, Co Kerry.

Either of these options is problematic. The first because it is technically almost impossible to achieve. More wind turbines, even if offshore, just increase the spikes of supply while leaving fossil fuels to keep the lights on 70pc of the time. As Robert Kennedy Jr said in 2010: “The wind and solar plants we are building are gas plants.”

Germany and California have borne out the veracity of this statement with increasing reliance on fracked gas in the US and Germany building more coal plants and planning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to bring in more Russian gas.

There is a third way. It is a mix of renewables and nuclear and it is proven to work. France, Sweden and Ontario in Canada have fully decarbonised electric grids with this approach. Dr Pat Morrissey

Adare, Co Limerick