Russia alone is planning as many new nuclear reactors as the entire European Union. Experts say how much the bloc should invest to meet its energy needs.
Nuclear remains one of the most important energy sources in the EU. It accounts for 22.8% of all electricity generated across the bloc.
Following Germany’s shutdowns, there are now only 12 nuclear energy producers in the EU.
France, with its 57 reactors and 338 GWh per hour, is the largest provider, generating 55% of the EU’s output. Spain is next with over 9%, followed by Sweden with almost 8%.
However, investment in nuclear energy is not picking up.
The World Nuclear Association (WNA) has recently warned that there won’t be enough reactors in the future to generate the same electricity as those that will shut down.
That could compromise the EU’s energy security long-term strategy, says the organisation.
How do Europe’s reactor investments compare to Russia’s?
At the moment, only two new reactors are under construction in the EU – one in France and another in Slovakia.
A mere 12 more are planned across the entire bloc.
That is less than Russia alone, which has 14 new reactors in the pipeline – six of which are already under construction.
In order to secure its energy needs, the WNA says the EU needs to invest at least €350 billion in new reactors by 2050, as part of a comprehensive investment plan of up to €755 billion, which includes decommissioning and waste management.
Poland to become a nuclear energy leader in Europe?
EU nuclear investments in the coming years are expected to focus in central and eastern Europe, with two new reactors in Bulgaria, one in the Czech Republic, two in Hungary, three in Poland, two in Romania and two in Sweden.
Poland seems the most willing to ramp up nuclear production, with 26 new reactors proposed to be spread across Pątnów, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Nowa Huta, Ostrołęka, Stawy Monowskie, Tarnobrzeg and Włocławek.
However, “further new units (are) likely to come online within the next 15 years”, says the WNA.
Currently, France is the EU country most reliant on nuclear energy, which covers 65% of all its electricity generated, followed by Slovakia at 62%.
By contrast, only 1.4% of electricity produced in Germany and 3.3% in the Netherlands came from nuclear power plants.
