en.Wedoany.com Report on Mar 27th, The Brussels-based European nuclear industry trade association, NuclearEurope, recently released a "Nuclear Action Plan," providing EU policymakers with a specific policy roadmap. It aims to leverage large-scale investments in nuclear energy over the coming decades to help the EU achieve its energy security and climate goals.
The plan first emphasizes the multiple strategic values of nuclear energy for Europe: providing stable, dispatchable clean electricity to balance the grid; reducing dependence on imported energy to enhance energy sovereignty; supporting industrial decarbonization; and sustaining a domestic industrial chain covering approximately 900,000 high-skilled jobs. The report argues that to unlock this potential, the EU urgently needs to establish a stable, technology-neutral long-term policy framework and take concrete measures to remove investment barriers.
The five core policy recommendations proposed in the plan include: establishing a clear long-term vision for nuclear energy development; creating fair financial classification and financing channels; streamlining and harmonizing regulatory approvals at the EU level; investing to ensure the security of the entire fuel cycle from uranium mining to waste management; and supporting a robust European domestic supply chain.
The report cites European Commission forecasts, pointing out that by 2050, just the planned large-scale nuclear power plant projects in EU member states will require over €240 billion in investment, while funding needs for advanced technologies like small modular reactors are even more substantial. Overall nuclear power capacity is expected to grow from about 98 GW in 2025 to 109 GW.
NuclearEurope President Xavier Ursat stated that nuclear energy is a key domestic technology for Europe to achieve economic decarbonization, ensure energy supply, and maintain industrial competitiveness. This action plan is a clear initiative from the industry, issued as the debate on energy policy within the EU intensifies, to strive for equal policy support and stimulate trillion-euro level investments, aiming to bring significant energy, economic, and strategic benefits to the entire EU.
