Nuclear security

Brussels weighs the cost of another century of nuclear power

On Monday (4 April), Brussels published its latest report on a potential EU-wide nuclear programme, known as the Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC). This was a highly anticipated document: it is the first time the European executive has drafted an embryonic EU nuclear policy (an area over which it has no competence) since the Fukushima disaster.

129 reactors in service

In its introduction, this document laid out the basic facts about nuclear power in the EU. The 129 reactors in service in 14 member states produce 27% of all the electricity consumed in the EU; the same proportion as renewable energies.

The average age of the nuclear reactors in 29 years, a fact that raises questions over the future of this carbon-free energy source: 90% of the EU’s nuclear energy capacity will have to be replaced, in one way or another, by 2050. Around 900,000 people are currently employed, directly or indirectly, in the European nuclear industry.