Japan And France Move Away From Nuclear Power

President Hollande confirmed his campaign
pledge to cut nuclear power in France from
75 to 50 percent by 2025 

 LONDON (REUTERS) -- Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced Japan would pull out of nuclear power by the 2030s and triple the share of renewable sources to 30 percent of its energy mix. In Paris, President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party promised to reduce reliance on nuclear power in the world's most nuclear dependent country. At the same time Hollande urged the European Union to set tough targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for 2030 and 2040. The moves by the two countries come in response to the Fukushima accident from 2011. Although in the short term, the difference will be made up from fossil fuels, eventually both countries plan to shift to more environmentally friendly technologies. President Hollande will call for a 40 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and a 60 percent reduction by 2040 at the EU Level. Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/14/energy-nuclear-idINL5E8KEJEB20120914 (Reliability: High)

Comment: In order for the EU to meet Hollande's targets, the countries will likely move away from fossil fuels into renewable resources. With Japan and France moving away from nuclear power, demand for rare earth metals vital for use in renewable energy sources will likely increase. Japan's goal of 30 percent renewable power likely will come in the form of hydroelectricity and geothermal, due to the limited space available on the island.