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SCMP Editorial
Editorial
SCMP Editorial

Learn from Chernobyl as the world turns to nuclear energy again

Forty years on, the legacy of Chernobyl is a reminder that energy security cannot come at the expense of public trust

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A Ukrainian serviceman directs a light on a damaged protective shelter over the remains of reactor Unit 4 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, near the city of Chernobyl, Ukraine in 2025. The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986. Photo: EPA
SCMP Editorial
Editorials represent the views of the South China Morning Post on the issues of the day.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in the Soviet Union, the world’s most infamous nuclear accident. For decades, the shadow of Chernobyl – and later the Fukushima meltdown in Japan following an earthquake and a tsunami – cast doubt on the safety of nuclear energy. Yet amid current geopolitical turmoil and energy insecurity, nuclear power is once again at the centre of global debate.
The immediate trigger is the crisis in the Middle East. The blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz has sent shock waves across energy markets, exposing the fragility of global supply chains. Countries that once shelved nuclear projects are reconsidering them, driven by the urgent need to secure reliable energy sources. Asia and Africa, in particular, have seen renewed interest. China is accelerating its nuclear programme, India is expanding capacity and even Europe is revisiting its stance.

The irony is striking. Four decades after Chernobyl, nuclear power – long viewed with suspicion – is being recast as a pragmatic solution to an energy crisis. Advances in technology have helped shift perceptions. Third- and fourth-generation reactors are designed with greater safety margins than those of the Soviet-era plants. Proponents argue that nuclear energy offers a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels, especially for nations unable to replicate China’s vast investments in solar and wind.

Still, caution is warranted. Fukushima remains a sobering reminder of the risks, with Japan still grappling with the disposal of contaminated water.

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