EU Investing 241 Billion Euros into Nuclear Energy: Reiche Meets with European Nuclear Alliance
Katherina Reiche Conferring with European Nuclear Energy Alignment
Hop over to Luxembourg and you'll find the Minister of Economics, Katherine Reiche, mingling with colleagues from EU nations championing nuclear energy, despite Germany's departure from the technology. "I listened, made connections," said the CDU politician after the European Nuclear Alliance meeting, which took place alongside EU energy ministers' gathering.
This group, the Nuclear Alliance, advocates for nuclear power usage, boasting members such as France, Sweden, and Poland. Reiche attended the meeting in an observer role, according to French Energy Minister Marc Ferracci, who welcomed this wholeheartedly. His Swedish counterpart Ebba Busch hinted at a possible German return to "technological neutrality."
France, with its focus on the looming climate crisis, considers nuclear power a low-CO2 energy source, although skepticism abounds due to high risks and massive construction costs. As per EU treaties, each nation decides its energy mix. In Germany, the last nuclear plants shuttered in April 2023.
The federal government grappled recently for a common stance on nuclear energy and its environmental sustainability classification. In a joint paper published on May 7, the French and German governments declared their intent to rejuvenate energy policy cooperation, advocating an equal treatment of all low-emission energies at the EU level. Nuclear power, crucial for France, is similarly deemed low-emission.
Reiche, in Brussels at the end of May, emphasized the importance of technological openness. However, Federal Minister of the Environment, Carsten Schneider, affirmed that Germany continues to reject the classification of nuclear power as sustainable. "There is no government position, and there won't be one in the future with the SPD."
For some EU nations, nuclear power serves as a key component in decarbonizing their energy supply. The EU Commission recently disclosed its estimated costs for continuing and re-entering nuclear power: approximately €241 billion is needed to prolong the lifetimes of existing reactors and construct new nuclear power plants by 2050, potentially boosting the EU's total installed capacity to 109 gigawatts from its current 98 gigawatts[1][3][5]. Extra investments will be required for the development of innovative technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), microreactors, and long-term fusion energy[1][3].
Sources:- ntv.de- chr/dpa
Put it on your radar:- Nuclear Power- Katherine Reiche- Nuclear Power Plants
The community policy could be revised to include the investment of €241 billion in nuclear power, considering it a key component in decarbonizing energy supply within the EU. Vocational training might be at the forefront for the workforce in the nuclear industry, as the finance for nuclear power plants' development and the integration of advanced technologies like SMRs, AMRs, microreactors, and long-term fusion energy will require a skilled workforce.
