NEA projections show that in order to successfully achieve net zero by 2050, nuclear energy capacity will need to at least double and potentially triple compared to today. As a result, the topic of nuclear new build has become a top priority in several NEA countries, which currently face significant challenges after years of inactivity and an evolving policy, industrial and regulatory contexts.
In this context, the NEA and the Ministry of Energy Transition of France hosted the first government-industry conference Roadmaps to New Nuclear at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris, France. The conference convened senior officials and industry executives from NEA countries considering the construction of new nuclear power plants and seeking to create the conditions for success to rebuild leadership in nuclear new build. Participants pinpointed solutions to deliver new nuclear construction at the scale and pace required for these countries to meet their energy needs.
French Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher said: “For the first time, more than 20 OECD NEA countries will convene in Paris, a few weeks before COP28, to send a strong message: nuclear power is essential to achieve carbon neutrality and fight against global warming, and many countries are ready to commit to it, like France, which is reviving its sector with vigour.”
NEA Director-General William D. Magwood, IV, said: “Reducing global carbon emissions to achieve net zero by 2050 is one of the greatest challenges and opportunities of our time. NEA analysis shows that advanced nuclear energy, alongside renewables and emerging technologies such as hydrogen, provides a realistic and practical path to meet this goal while maintaining energy security and fostering economic expansion. There is much work ahead and the NEA is pleased to work with the Government of France to advance the international collaboration needed to realise this vision.”
In the lead up to COP28, the outcomes of this conference will inform the development of actionable policy recommendations for policymakers, nuclear utilities and the industry more broadly.
Energy ministers and heads of delegations of 20 countries issued a call to action and guiding principles in support of roadmaps for nuclear energy.
Issued at the NEA conference Roadmaps to New Nuclear, the communiqué outlines guiding principles for:
Associations representing the nuclear industry in OECD countries signed a joint communiqué at Roadmaps to New Nuclear conference highlighting the essential role of nuclear energy and calling on deepening the co-operation with governments, international organisations and across the industry.
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