Part 1 of 2 Parts
The European Commission has launched an Industrial Alliance dedicated to small modular reactors (SMRs). They are aiming to facilitate the development of SMRs in Europe by the early 2030s. The announcement came as part of the commission’s assessment for a 2040 climate target for the EU.
The European Commission established a European SMR pre-Partnership in June last year with the primary objective of identifying enabling conditions and constraints, including financial ones, towards safe design, construction and operation of SMRs in Europe in the next decade and beyond. The pre-Partnership will be in compliance with the EU legislative framework in general and to the Euratom legislative framework in particular.
Early last November, it announced that it would create an Industrial Alliance for SMRs early this year. Industrial alliances are a way in which to facilitate stronger cooperation and joint action between all interested partners. Industrial alliances can play a role in achieving important EU policy objectives through joint action by all the interested partners.
The commission said in a statement on 6 February, “The commission is also launching an Industrial Alliance to facilitate stakeholder's cooperation at EU level and to accelerate the deployment of SMRs and ensure a strong EU supply chain, including a skilled workforce. This will leverage EU's manufacturing and innovation capacities to accelerate the deployment of first SMR projects in the EU by early 2030 under the highest standards of nuclear safety, environmental sustainability, and industrial competitiveness.”
According to the commission, this Industrial Alliance will develop a Strategic Action Plan in order to identify the following. Technically mature and commercially viable SMR technologies that could be supported under the alliance must be selected. Potential gaps and solutions in the European supply chain for SMRs (including fuel and raw materials) must be identified. Investment barriers, funding opportunities and new financial blending options to support SMR development must be found. Finally, future needs for research on SMRs and advanced modular reactors (AMRs) must be identified and existing skills gaps along the supply chain must be addressed under the Euratom Research and Training Program, and at national level.
A call for organizations interested in alliance membership will open shortly. All public and private legal entities which satisfy a set of eligibility membership criteria can apply for membership. In addition, next month, a dissemination event covering the scope, objectives and activities of the Industrial Alliance is expected to be organized in Brussels.
The European nuclear trade body Nucleareurope has been instrumental in the creation of the SMR Alliance. It said, “Thanks to the work undertaken as Chair of the European SMR pre-Partnership Steering Committee and our outreach to Members of the European Parliament that culminated in the overwhelming adoption of an Own Initiative Report on SMRs.”
Yves Desbazeille is the Nucleareurope Director General. He said, “The deployment of SMRs will bring significant benefits to Europe, including greater energy sovereignty, lower CO2 emissions, new jobs and economic growth. The European nuclear industry has been at the forefront of innovation and industrial excellence for decades and this Industrial Alliance will help maintain our industry's world class position”.
Please read Part 2 next