A utility membership group representing 32 European countries said last week that the European Commission’s Nuclear Illustrative Program fails to address market forces that cause “well-functioning” nuclear plants to shut down prematurely.
The commission, which is the governing body of the European Union, released the report last week. It’s the first such report since the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and it focuses on safety upgrades at European plants.
Eurelectric, which includes members from 32 countries, said in a statement that the EU document is a “good basis to discuss the role of nuclear energy in achieving the EU’s energy objectives,” but it “does not address the competitiveness of existing and technically well-functioning nuclear reactors, which, in some countries, are being forced to shut down due to the difficult market situation and distortive national policy measures.”
“A continuing contribution of nuclear power will be needed as Europe undertakes the low-carbon energy transition, but a more positive EU policy framework is needed if this is to be achieved,” the statement reads.
According to the press release, nuclear reactors produced 28 percent of European electricity in 2014, the same year in which nuclear accounted for 54 percent of European low-carbon output. The group estimates that maintaining nuclear generation capacity between 95 and 105 gigawatts until 2050 and beyond will require €350 billion to €450 billion in new nuclear plant investment to replace most of the existing nuclear power capacity.
