European Commission announces creation of Small Modular Reactor Alliance

​Bratislava, 7 November 2023: This week, during a series of events currently organised in Bratislava, Slovakia, the European Commission has formally announced the creation of an Industrial Alliance dedicated to Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). This EU SMR Industrial Alliance will focus on accelerating the deployment of these technologies and ensuring a strong EU supply chain, including a skilled workforce.

As highlighted by Commissioner Kadri Simson during the European SMR Partnership event held yesterday in Bratislava, Slovakia, “The stakes in the global competition are high, and it is important that we maintain European technological and industrial leadership in nuclear”, adding that she stands “ready to initiate within the Commission the necessary steps to establish the EU Industrial Alliance for SMRs early next year”. This message was reiterated today during the opening session of the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF).  

 “SMRs are expected to bring many benefits to the EU as a whole in terms of helping to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, as well as creating jobs and generating economic growth in the EU”, states Yves Desbazeille, Director General of nucleareurope. “The groundwork has been laid by its predecessor, the European SMR pre-Partnership and we are delighted that the European Commission is now giving its full backing to this key technology of the future.”

 SNETP President Bernard Salha welcomes the Commission’s recognition of the efforts deployed by the nuclear community during the pre-Partnership to provide in-depth expertise on this issue. In this respect, he insists on the need for significant support to be provided in order to create the necessary conditions to accelerate the development of SMRs in the EU in a safe, efficient and secure manner.

 This Alliance is expected to focus on four key areas which can be summarised as follows:

• Incentivising the market: addressing the needs of energy-intensive industries and the solutions which SMRs can bring.
• Financing of SMRs: looking at cost-sharing options as well a financial support for individual projects.
• Ensuring that the nuclear industry is well-equipped: this includes strengthening education & training to ensure a skilled workforce and upscaling the involvement of the EU supply chain in the development of SMRs.
• Support for innovation, research & development (I,R&D): identify what the needs are in order to establish relevant I,R&D programmes and facilities.

Now that the Commission has formally announced its support for the EU SMR Industrial Alliance, the organisations involved in the pre-Partnership will work towards setting up and launching the Alliance in early 2024.

About us:

nucleareurope is the Brussels-based trade association for the nuclear energy industry in Europe. The membership of nucleareurope is made up of 15 national nuclear associations and through these associations, nucleareurope 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@nucleareurope.eu