§ Mr. StunellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of CO2 emission levels from the nuclear industry in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to emissions during (a) construction, (b) generation and (c) decommissioning and disposal; and if he will make a statement. [50833]
§ Mr. BattleI have been asked to reply.
No separate figures in the form requested are available. It is estimated that nuclear electricity generation leads to emissions of about 4 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of electricity delivered to the final user. Of these 4 grams, 3.2 grams are emitted in the process of uranium extraction and the remainder during fuel processing.
Carbon dioxide emissions from nuclear generation are less than 1 per cent. of equivalent figures for any of the major fossil-fuelled electricity generation technologies.