In a joint letter, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden called for investment incentives for small modular reactors (SMRs). The informal group called on the European Commission to create an industrial union for the segment, arguing that the move would help build a value-added chain in the European Union, AFP reported.
Member countries said it would strengthen energy sovereignty and the competitiveness of local industry. Earlier, they formed a so-called nuclear alliance with Belgium and Estonia. Italy and the United Kingdom are currently observer countries to this council.
France already leads two nuclear energy initiatives at the European level
France has also launched the new initiative, according to the office of French Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. It will “strengthen the European nuclear industry and security of supply, as well as European competitiveness”, they add.
The signatories of the proposal propose the small modular reactors as a solution to eliminate fossil fuels from electricity generation after 2030 and increase the EU’s nuclear power capacity to 150 GW by 2050 from the current 100 GW.
Support from the European Commission is necessary for MMR projects to benefit from existing and future European legislation, the 12 EU countries stressed. Their representatives will meet on the sidelines of the two-day European Nuclear Energy Forum in Bratislava this week.
Unlike previous meetings of the Nuclear Energy Alliance, Belgium will be a full participant and not an observer. Italy will remain an observer, and European Commissioner Kadri Simson will represent the European Commission. The members of the Nuclear Alliance intend to use their influence to “put the issue of European financing of nuclear energy back on the agenda”, according to their joint letter, cited by Euractiv.
This is something that may not go down well with the other group forming at EU level, Friends of Renewable Energy, which was set up by Austria in opposition to the nuclear alliance and joined by countries such as Germany, Spain and Luxembourg.
Manpower and funding
The European Commission has already announced its support for the development of third- and fourth-generation nuclear reactors, including MMPs, as part of its Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), tabled in mid-March.
EU member states have not yet agreed a common position on NZIA, although many are interested in small reactors. The units themselves are first being developed as prototypes and will have to meet a number of requirements of nuclear regulators in Europe.
While Sweden and Finland are in the process of defining a road map and the Czech Republic is identifying potential sites, Estonia, Bulgaria and Romania have already expressed interest in building an MMR.
Meanwhile, France has set targets for the development of a modular reactor and plans to allocate €1.2 billion in public funding for projects. Today’s meeting will also provide an opportunity to plan staffing needs for the next generation small reactor industry. According to Panier-Rünache’s office, 300,000 nuclear jobs are expected in the EU by 2050, including 100,000 in France alone.
The cabinet also mentioned that future discussions on nuclear power could be raised at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
The European publication recalls that at the end of August, the Slovenian conservative Frank Bogović from the European People’s Party (EPP) presented a report on his own initiative, which will be voted on in December, regarding the EU’s contribution to the development of the MMR.
Those who favor small units with a capacity of 10 MW to 300 MW, compared to those with a capacity of more than 700 MW (conventional reactor), could contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the EU. Especially with its energy-intensive industry and areas with insufficiently well-secured access to the European electricity grid.
At the same time, industry players, researchers, regulators, potential customers and the European Commission created a “European pre-MDI partnership” in June, also as a way to counter the ambitions of the US, whose projects could quickly appear on European soil. Now EU member states are also stepping up their ambitions in this direction.
Even before the energy forum in Bratislava, the 12 European ministers have already sent a joint letter on the subject to the EC Vice-President responsible for the Green Deal Maros Šefčovič, the Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, the Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton and the Commissioner for Innovation and Science studies Iliana Ivanova. The joint letter calls on the European Commission to “create an ‘industrial union’ for MMR at EU level”. The aim is to call on the Commission to “stimulate investment in European small modular reactors and capabilities for the development of a European value chain”. To achieve this, the Commission’s support must “ensure that these innovative projects benefit from existing and future European legislation”, the signatories note.
In mid-September, Bogovic explained to the French edition of Euractiv that European investment support can be used to promote research, international cooperation and public-private partnerships to develop skills, workforce, demonstration projects and infrastructure for future MDI. The EU could also reduce regulatory uncertainty for investment and promote financing mechanisms such as subsidies and low-interest loans, the Slovenian MEP said.
Earlier, the MEP suggested that the EU should adopt the US-inspired model, which allows tax credits for MMPs and allocates $700 million to develop new forms of uranium for use in these reactors.
2023-11-07 19:39:12
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