The European Union will need up to $462bn (€450bn) in investment just to keep the current level of its nuclear power generation capacity, the EU commissioner for energy Kadri Simson said at a nuclear energy forum.

Nuclear power will have an important role to play in the EU’s climate targets of low-carbon electricity generation, Simson said at the European Nuclear Energy Forum (Enef) in Prague.

“The backbone of the future European carbon-free power system will be predominantly renewables. But the reality is that these renewables will need to be complemented with a stable baseload electricity production. This is why nuclear energy is not just a safety and security concern, but also a real solution,” she added.

“We need to mobilise all parts of our energy system to stand strong against Russia's deadly geopolitics. Nuclear energy is no exception,” Simson said.