The expert revealed the reasons for the European Union's return to nuclear energy

The statement by the President of the European Commission (EC) on the revival of nuclear energy marks a significant shift in the energy policy of the European Union (EU). This opinion was expressed by Mikhail Akim, a professor at the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, in an interview with Izvestia.

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In this case, the return of the focus to the peaceful atom is due to structural factors, rather than the short-term geopolitical situation.

"The European Union, which does not have significant hydrocarbon reserves of its own, objectively depends on their imports. The current crisis in the Middle East, according to [EC President Ursula] von der Leyen, serves as a harsh reminder of the vulnerability that this energy dependence creates," the expert explained.

But the key reason, according to him, lies deeper: the energy supply model, based solely on renewable energy sources, faces physical limitations. Wind and solar generation are unstable and weather-dependent, and without the construction of large-scale energy storage systems and appropriate network infrastructure, they cannot guarantee coverage of the base load.

"In this configuration, nuclear power is considered as a necessary component to ensure the reliability and round—the-clock availability of electricity generation," the source said.

However, the €200 million amount of funding announced by von der Leyen may not be enough in comparison with the scale of the tasks, he added.

"This amount can serve as a signal to the market and, possibly, a risk reduction tool for private venture investors, but it cannot be considered significant for the full-scale deployment of at least innovative activity in the industry," the expert noted.

Taking into account the length of the investment cycle (the payback period for nuclear projects is 15-20 years), the development of nuclear generation in Europe will not become a tool for immediately overcoming the current energy crisis, the Akim warned.

Read more in the Izvestia article:

Uranium Core: Why Europe plans to return to nuclear energy

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