The liberal and centrist group in the European Parliament, Renew Europe, has adopted Sophie Wilmès's position paper on small modular reactors (SMRs, Small Modular Reactors) at a group meeting. In doing so, the group officially positions itself in favour of the ambitious development of SMRs in Europe. This also means that Renew Europe is integrating nuclear power into its vision of the energy mix and will push for the development of innovative nuclear technologies. This is a first: Renew Europe has never before taken such an explicit position in favour of nuclear power.
Sophie Wilmès comments: “Attitudes are shifting in Europe on nuclear energy. We are clearly moving towards a more pragmatic approach. This shift has taken place within Renew Europe, under the leadership of the MR, but it reflects a much broader underlying trend. And for good reason: on one hand, we have a very ambitious climate target for 2050, and on the other, an industrial imperative, with a loss of competitiveness partly caused by higher energy prices in Europe. Moreover, the new geopolitical situation has a very concrete impact on our energy policy. The war in Ukraine is the clearest illustration of this. The situation in Iran now represents a new risk to take into account. Imagining that we could become the first carbon-neutral, fully electrified continent at the cutting edge of digital technology, while maintaining a competitive industry, and doing so without nuclear energy, I would remind you: a local, accessible, competitive and decarbonised energy source, is simply wishful thinking.”
The position paper is divided into 8 sections and proposes a set of measures to accelerate the rollout of SMRs in Europe.
- Overall, the document calls for the creation of a complete European value chain for SMRs, from design to the actual construction of reactors, with a view to strengthening Europe's strategic autonomy.
- The text also calls for a genuine SMR Act, i.e. an adapted regulatory framework enabling accelerated and harmonised rollout of SMRs across Europe.
- Among the concrete ideas are, for example, accelerating the permit-granting process and European pre-certification to standardise designs and reduce construction timelines and costs.
- As access to financing is a key point in providing the industry with the necessary stability and securing investment, a series of proposals is being put forward, including actively supporting European SMR projects through the European Investment Bank (EIB), reviewing the eligibility of SMRs beyond 2045 under the European green taxonomy, and increasing their funding in the next Euratom research programme, for which Sophie Wilmès is rapporteur in the European Parliament.
- Beyond electricity generation, the text highlights the potential of SMRs to, for example, supply industrial heat, feed district heating networks, or produce decarbonised hydrogen. It also stresses the importance of preserving and developing the necessary skills in Europe.
The timing chosen by Renew Europe to take a stance on SMRs is no coincidence. This position paper comes one week before the European Commission adopts its SMR Strategy.
Sophie Wilmès explains: “It's very simple: we expect ambition from the Commission, without taboos, backed by concrete actions that meet the sector's needs. As with many issues, China and the United States are ahead of us on this. The Chinese have already put an SMR into service, while the Americans are simplifying their regulatory framework and planning massive funding of €900 million allocated to two pilot projects. This gap can only be closed through a paradigm shift by the EU. And that starts, first of all, with a simple, clear and harmonised framework, along with massive investment directed towards these technologies. That is where our expectations lie.”