The nuclear disaster of Fukushima provoked a rethink on the use of nuclear energy in Europe. It was for the first time that a densely populated industrial country, using the latest nuclear power generation technology, was affected. The incident revealed that the mere loss of grid connection can cause a break-down of the backup power supply in a matter of a few hours, which inevitably results in a core meltdown.

Since the power grid is the weakest link in the power supply, one can easily imagine a similar disaster occurring in Europe. Germany and Switzerland have already responded and decided to abandon nuclear energy. In other countries, such as France, Fukushima has provoked heated discussions on a possible phase-out.