FORATOM calls on EU to increase reliance on nuclear power

Today, FORATOM has called on the EU to envisage increasing its reliance on nuclear power, further to yesterday’s REPowerEU[1] communication. Nuclear can provide many benefits to help the EU tackle the current energy crisis, including security of supply, affordability and achievement of the decarbonisation goals.

“We are disappointed that very little is said about nuclear in the communication given that it consistently produces around one quarter of electricity in the EU. Ignoring the EU’s main source of highly dispatchable, low-carbon and non-weather dependent energy raises question about whether the proposed measures are realistic” states Yves Desbazeille, FORATOM Director General. “The Commission itself has already admitted that nuclear will form the backbone of a carbon-free European power system, together with renewables. Having an energy mix composed of both nuclear and renewables is key to ensuring an affordable, secure and stable supply of energy in long-term”

 Focusing only on increasing the renewables target will trigger other issues, including system variability (due to the intermittent nature of wind and solar, for example) and potential future challenges in terms of raw-material supplies.

In order to tackle high energy prices and ensure a smooth and affordable transition to a decarbonised economy in 2050, FORATOM recommends extending the operation of the existing nuclear fleet. This is by far the most affordable solution for 2030 as it also ensures security of supply and grid stability. Furthermore, from a longer-term perspective, the EU needs to seriously consider and support the construction of new nuclear power plants in all future policies.  

For more information on the role which can nuclear can play today and in the future, please see the following position paper.

About us: The European Atomic Forum (FORATOM) is the Brussels-based trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe. The membership of FORATOM is made up of 15 national nuclear associations and through these associations, FORATOM represents nearly 3,000 European companies working in the industry and supporting around 1,100,000 jobs.

For more information, please contact Jessica Johnson: jessica.johnson@foratom.org.

[1]  REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy