Meeting the EU’s ambition to decarbonise its economy by 2050 will require significant investment in all low-carbon technologies, which means investing in Europe in both the long-term operation of existing nuclear plants and the construction of about 100 GW of new nuclear capacity, senior industry officials have said.

In a manifesto published this week the industry officials said the nuclear targets are achievable if EU institutions, member states and the European nuclear industry work together.

In the manifesto they said the nuclear industry would deliver the required volume of nuclear capacity on time and at a competitive cost; undertake research, development and innovation to identify areas where the nuclear industry can help decarbonise other sectors; and continue to manage used nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in a responsible manner.