France-led initiative pushing for increased reactor deployment
Nuclear should be part of the EU’s forthcoming affordable energy action plan and the European Commission should facilitate the development of the technology in Europe, 11 pro-nuclear European governments have said.
The countries, which form the EU Nuclear Alliance, called for commission to be ambitious and put forward a comprehensive strategy in the action plan that integrates the need for renewables, baseload and dispatchable generation capacities, including nuclear.
The alliance said in a declaration released on 20 February that sufficient dispatchable power generation such as nuclear, which can be adjusted on demand to meet the needs of the power grid, can help meet energy demand continuously, while keeping costs low.
The alliance asked the commission to clarify how it will apply the “technology neutrality principle” and how it will “create a supporting ecosystem” for new nuclear production capacities, including small modular reactors, new plants and the extension of existing reactors’ operating life, the statement says.
The nuclear alliance is a France-led initiative set up in 2023 to push at an EU level the interests of pro-nuclear energy countries. It met last week to agree a position on the key EU energy and clean industrial strategies, due on 26 February.
The 11 nuclear alliance countries that signed the declaration are Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
Poland is an observer, due to its EU presidency role. Belgium joined the signatories for the first time, while traditional participant Finland as not among those that signed. Italy is also an observer.
According to the commission, the affordable energy action plan will set out concrete short-term measures to deliver on competitiveness, affordability, security and sustainability.
The commission said high energy costs are hurting EU citizens and businesses. Energy poverty affects more than 40 million Europeans and electricity is about three times more expensive than gas in many European countries. For industries, retail electricity prices have almost doubled since the beginning of the energy crisis in 2021.
Industry Group Calls For Equal Treatment
The Brussels-based nuclear group Nucleareurope said all fossil-free and net zero energy sources must be treated on an equal footing. This will help maintain energy prices at an affordable level for consumers nor ensuring a long-term investment environment for energy supplies.
“In order to reduce our dependence on third countries, achieve our decarbonisation goals and render our industries more competitive, the EU must maximise the use of homegrown, clean energy capacity and accelerate the transition to electrification,” Nucleareurope said.
“The combination of firm and dispatchable energy sources such as nuclear with renewables, flexibility and storage is crucial to the delivery of an affordable and stable energy system.
“A technology-neutral approach is therefore key, together with the rapid deployment of new nuclear (both large and small reactor technologies) and renewables,” Nucleareurope said.
