There is 'will to place nuclear at forefront' of European energy policies, says French minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher
Europe’s energy legislation must respect the principle of technology neutrality and secure a role for nuclear power along with renewables in order to achieve alignment with the bloc’s goals related to decarbonisation, affordability, and security of supply, according to Yves Desbazeille, director-general of Brussels-based nuclear industry group Nucleareurope.
Desbazeille told the Nucleareurope 2023 annual conference in Lyon on Wednesday that nuclear energy should continue to provide about a quarter of European Union electricity by 2050, a task which will require the deployment of about 115 GW of new nuclear.
He said of the 150 GW needed to retain nuclear’s share in the EU electricity mix in 2050, the long-term operation (LTO) of existing nuclear reactor fleets could provide just about 35 GW.
According to Desbazeille, LTO is expected to meet around 23% of the target, new large-scale reactor would account for 37%, small modular reactors for 33%, and advanced modular reactors for 7%.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France’s minister of energy transition, told the gathering in Lyon that Europe’s nuclear sector is expected to represent more than €500bn ($544.4bn) of GDP and more than a million jobs in the next decade.
“There is a will to position nuclear at the forefront of our European energy policies, but we need to transform it into a strong vivid, European common, and global project”, she said.
Pannier-Runacher called on the European nuclear sector to “work together” in order to improve performance, share operational, supply chain, and safety expertise with the goal to deliver “competitiveness and affordability.”
“I hope that together we can build a more resilient European supply chain,” said the minister. “This is a long journey. It implies being independent from Russia and any other country.”
In May, Pannier-Runacher headed a meeting of 16 European countries as part of a “nuclear alliance” that said Europe needed to support new reactors and renewables if it wants to decarbonise its economy. A next informal meeting of the group is scheduled for July.
Over the last months, the France-led group has challenged a couple of EU-level policies over the role of nuclear power. Those included a new version of the bloc’s Renewable Energy Directive touching on 2030 targets and an overarching Net-Zero Industry Act aiming to boost the competitiveness of the EU’s strategic and sustainable sectors.
“Nuclear is a European industry in its own right, as well an enabler for other industries,” said Yves Desbazeille and added that the Net-Zero Industry Act is one policy which “would benefit from a more technology neutral and consistent approach” with respect to nuclear energy.
In March, a proposal by the European Commission excluded nuclear power from the EU’s “strategic” low-carbon industries only carving out space for advanced Generation IV technologies and small modular reactors, none of which are commercially deployable today.
“The supply chain is also key,” said Desbazeille. “By building up a European supply chain we can ensure that we have access to what we need, thus potentially reducing project delays.”
Xavier Ursat, president of French nuclear industry group Gifen, said that to build a stronger nuclear industry, the French supply chain should build partnerships with its peers from other European countries.
According to Desbazeille, the nuclear sector also needs to become more attractive to financing organisaitons. “The money is out there, but we [the industry] need to prove that nuclear is a worthwhile investment,” he said.
