Fortum signs the European Nuclear Industry Open Letter: EU nuclear industry is ready to play an important part in supporting national and EU clean economic revival

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Decarbonisation is to a large extent about electrification of all sectors in society. Currently, in Europe, nuclear accounts for more than a quarter of the power production and almost half of CO2-free electricity. To meet the climate targets we need more clean power, and lots of it.

We must ensure that the existing nuclear production capacity remains competitive but also new capacity must be built. Nuclear power complements renewables, and together they enable us to meet our challenging climate targets. Countries that do not have nuclear in their mix are struggling to meet their climate targets, despite huge efforts.

“We believe that nuclear is needed in the energy system for a long time if we are to succeed with the climate targets”, says Tiina Tuomela, Executive Vice President, Generation.

Finland and Sweden are global forerunners in responsible nuclear waste management. In Finland, the final disposal of the spent fuel is planned to start in the mid-2020’s by Posiva, in Eurajoki.

“We need a technology neutral EU Taxonomy, not one that effectively discriminates one of the key climate benign production forms we have. We can’t simply afford to leave out any clean production form from the energy mix”, she continues.

The energy sector, and nuclear in its heart, continues to play a critical role powering the EU and the energy transition, delivering an essential low carbon service to households and businesses to keep our economies moving in competitive and reliable way.

 

Tiina Tuomela on European Nuclear Industry open letter