Alpine energy - a nuclear euphemism

Austria, home of the IAEA's head office in Vienna, prides itself on being a nuclear-free-zone.

There are no nuclear power stations in Austria. But the truth of the matter is that Austria, population 8 million, imports the amount energy produced by 2 nuclear plants of equivalent MW-size to those at Torness (see post below) mainly from neighbouring pro-nuclear country Czech Republic. This (in population/energy terms) would be the equivalent to the output of 32 nuclear reactors in Japan where the population is 127 million.

Japan has 55 nuclear reactors. The proud nuclear-free-country of Austria is relatively speaking quietly importing about 60% of what a pro-nuclear country like Japan is producing per head for its own population!

Small wonder that the IAEA is happy to have it's head office in the nuclear free Alpine Republic.

Image is everything.

But why does Austria need to import so much nuclear energy when it has hydro-electric dams along the Danube and on all its major rivers except one?

Perhaps an Austrian nuclear lobbyist can provide the answer?

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