The European Union has every interest in encouraging countries to develop or maintain their nuclear production capacity if it wants to achieve its climate objectives while keeping prices affordable for consumers, particularly the less well-off, Dominique Louis, chairman and chief executive officer of French engineering and technology company Assystem said in a blog on social media.

Mr Louis said electricity prices are rising across Europe with many countries tending to rely on gas imports because they are seeking to meet their climate commitments by reducing their use of coal and developing the use of renewable energies, particularly wind power. However, the production capacity of wind is highly variable because it depends on the weather and does not always cover a country’s peak consumption.