France will hold a meeting of ministers from 17 European countries that are friendly to nuclear power, urging the EU to include nuclear power in renewable energy and promoting a plan to increase the EU’s nuclear power capacity by 1.5 times by 2050.
According to Reuters on the 16th (local time), France will hold a meeting in Paris on the same day attended by EU energy policy commissioner Cadry Simpson and ministers from 14 EU countries pro-nuclear power plants, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Italy and the UK, which withdrew from the EU, will also participate as observers. A French official said, “As the UK is building two nuclear power plants, it is meaningful to participate in this meeting as information can be shared in terms of economies of scale.” At the meeting, plans to expand nuclear power plants will be discussed.
According to a draft statement obtained by Reuters, participating countries will urge the EU to include nuclear power in its renewable energy policy. The draft included a plan to increase nuclear power capacity in the EU from the current 100 GW (gigawatt) to 150 GW by 2050, by building 30 to 45 new small and large reactors. An agreement to reduce energy dependence on Russia by expanding the supply chain of nuclear power plants is also expected to be reflected.
However, the final statement is subject to revision. An EU Commission official told Reuters, “Simpson’s attendance is a sign of active interest in a growing industry and a key technology conducive to ‘net zero (zero carbon emissions)'”. It will not go away,” he said.
In March this year, the EU decided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to 1990 by 2030 and increase the share of renewable energy across member states from 32% to 42.5% to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. France is insisting that nuclear power plants should be included in renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and nuclear power-free countries, led by Germany, are opposed to this.
Paris =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.