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Failing the formati...
Failing the formative phase: The global diffusion of nuclear power is limited by national markets
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- Brutschin, Elina (author)
- Internationales Institut fuer Angewandte Systemanalyse,International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
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- Cherp, Aleh (author)
- Lund University,Lunds universitet,Internationella miljöinstitutet,Universitetets särskilda verksamheter,The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics,University Specialised Centres,Central European University, Vienna
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- Jewell, Jessica, 1982 (author)
- Chalmers University of Technology,University of Bergen,International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
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(creator_code:org_t)
- Elsevier BV, 2021
- 2021
- English.
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In: Energy Research and Social Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-6296. ; 80
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Abstract
Subject headings
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- Understanding the role of technology characteristics and the context in the diffusion of new energy technologies is important for assessing feasibility of climate mitigation. We examine the historical adoption of nuclear power as a case of a complex large scale energy technology. We conduct an event history analysis of grid connections of first sizable commercial nuclear power reactors in 79 countries between 1950 and 2018. We show that the introduction of nuclear power can largely be explained by contextual variables such as the proximity of a country to a major technology supplier (‘ease of diffusion’), the size of the economy, electricity demand growth, and energy import dependence (‘market attractiveness’). The lack of nuclear newcomers in the early 1990s can be explained by the lack of countries with high growth in electricity demand and sufficient capacities to build their first nuclear power plant, either on their own or with international help. We also find that nuclear accidents, the pursuit of nuclear weapons, and the advances made in competing technologies played only a minor role in nuclear technology failing to be established in more countries. Our analysis improves understanding of the feasibility of introducing contested and expensive technologies in a heterogenous world with motivations and capacities that differ across countries and by a patchwork of international relations. While countries with high state capacity or support from a major technology supplier are capable of introducing large-scale technologies quickly, technology diffusion to other regions might undergo significant delays due to lower motivations and capacities.
Subject headings
- SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)
- SOCIAL SCIENCES -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)
- HUMANIORA -- Historia och arkeologi -- Teknikhistoria (hsv//swe)
- HUMANITIES -- History and Archaeology -- History of Technology (hsv//eng)
- TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER -- Naturresursteknik -- Energisystem (hsv//swe)
- ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY -- Environmental Engineering -- Energy Systems (hsv//eng)
Keyword
- Technology diffusion
- Nuclear energy
- Low carbon transition
- Feasibility
- Feasibility
- Low carbon transition
- Nuclear energy
- Technology diffusion
Publication and Content Type
- art (subject category)
- ref (subject category)
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