(Montel) EU nuclear club's projects could reach 150 GW by 2050

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Nuclear power could reach up to 150 GW of capacity by 2050, against 100 GW currently, France’s energy minister wrote in a statement on Tuesday following a meeting of the new European nuclear alliance.

“That’s the addition of the various projects that are still in the planning stage, and the projection of what simply keeping the share – at 25% – of nuclear power in our European electricity mix would represent,” Agnes Pannier-Runacher, who launched the nuclear club earlier this year, said on the sidelines of the meeting.

In February, energy ministers from 11 EU countries, including France, agreed to form an alliance between their national nuclear sectors to boost the industry.

Today’s meeting examined actions that could support the nuclear industry, its potential contribution to climate targets and energy independence from Russia, as well as the revival of European industry.

The additional 50 GW will be achieved through the continued operation of existing facilities, the construction of 30 to 45 large new reactors and the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the bloc, the statement read.

This would contribute to Europe’s GDP at about EUR 92bn, and imply 450,000 jobs by 2050.

Officials from Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Italy – as an observer – and Sweden – which had asked to participate as a member state – signed a joint declaration at the end of the meeting calling for a European action plan.

The UK was also represented to provide “very useful” feedback as a special guest, Pannier-Runacher said, as it is currently building two reactors at Hinkley Point C.

“Too slow to build”

However, environmental lobby group Greenpeace said the alliance meant that France was “not only sabotaging its own energy transition: it is trying to drag the EU into the great nuclear diversion.”

Nuclear power was “too slow to build” in the face of the climate urgency, it said, adding that French plans to build new reactors would need at least 15 years to come to fruition.

But Pannier-Runacher highlighted that during the meeting, many countries had been clear that it was not a question of opposing renewables and nuclear. “We are going to need both if we want to be credible on our ability to meet our climate objectives.”

In France, the draft bill to speed up reactor builds is being submitted today to a vote at the lower house.