- Leaders from pro-nuclear European countries and energy experts are to advocate for a nuclear energy revival today at a summit in Brussels.
- Nuclear energy fell out of favour in Europe due to safety concerns following Japan’s Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011.
Leaders from pro-nuclear European countries and energy experts are to advocate for a nuclear energy revival today at a summit in Brussels. They are seeking to rebuild the European industry after years of gradual decline.
The political push to expand nuclear – a low-carbon energy source – is part of the drive to meet Europe’s ambitious climate targets. However, it faces challenges such as a lack of investment, cost overruns, and delays that have plagued recent projects.
“Without the support of nuclear power, we have no chance to reach our climate targets on time,” International Energy Agency (IEA) chief Fatih Birol stated ahead of the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels.
According to a joint statement by leaders at a nuclear energy summit in Brussels, they are set to “commit to work to fully unlock the potential of nuclear energy by taking measures such as enabling conditions to support and competitively finance the lifetime extension of existing nuclear reactors”.
The statement also commits to constructing new nuclear power plants and early deploying advanced reactors, including small modular reactors worldwide, while maintaining the highest levels of safety and security.
Nuclear energy fell out of favour in Europe due to safety concerns following Japan’s Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. This event prompted Germany to immediately shut down six nuclear plants and phase out its remaining reactors. The country also shut down the last three in April 2023.
But the need to find alternatives to Russian gas following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the European Union’s commitment to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 has renewed interest in nuclear power.
However, EU countries remain divided on whether to promote nuclear energy, with two entrenched camps. One is led by France, which believes nuclear expansion is crucial, and the other includes anti-nuclear countries such as Austria and Germany, which want to focus on renewable sources such as wind and solar.
John Podesta, senior advisor to the US President for clean energy, said the United States, too, is looking to revive the nuclear sector. He said they support the French initiative to encourage the World Bank and other development banks to eliminate nuclear funding restrictions.
He added that Congress recently approved $2.7 billion to restart an enrichment programme, particularly for advanced fuels such as helium.