EU Nuclear Power Industry is Coming Back to Life

The panic caused by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 dealt a heavy blow to the EU's nuclear power industry. In the early 1990s, the EU completely stopped building new nuclear power plants. Today, as energy shortages become increasingly severe, some EU member states have refocused their attention on nuclear energy, and the nuclear power industry has once again shown a good momentum of development.

Although there are safety hazards and high construction costs, nuclear power also has the advantages of cleanliness and low power generation costs. In early 2006, a natural gas dispute broke out between Russia and Ukraine, which had a certain impact on the natural gas supply of some EU countries. This made the EU aware of the urgent need to increase efforts to ensure energy supply.

In order to strategically improve the independence of energy supply, some EU countries have once again put the development of the nuclear power industry on their agenda. Finland has begun construction of the country's fifth nuclear reactor, which is expected to be officially put into operation in 2009. Finland also became the first EU country to build another nuclear reactor in more than a decade.

France is not far behind. President Chirac announced plans for a fourth-generation nuclear reactor earlier this year. The nuclear reactor, which is more efficient and produces less nuclear waste, will be commissioned in 2020. France is currently also planning to build a new nuclear reactor on the coast of Normandy, which will be the country's 59th nuclear reactor.

The UK has stopped building new nuclear power facilities since 1989, but the country has also recently taken substantial steps to redevelop its nuclear power industry. The energy report released by the British government recently proposed that six new nuclear power plants will be built in the next three to forty years to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and dependence on imported energy.

Countries such as Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium have made it clear that they will no longer build new nuclear power plants and that operating nuclear power plants will cease operations at the end of their production cycles. However, the Dutch government has now changed its stance and will announce plans to build new nuclear power plants later this year. Relevant experts predict that Germany, Spain, Sweden and Belgium may also adjust their current nuclear power policies due to the stance of the United Kingdom and other countries.

Some new member states that joined the EU in 2004 also expressed their intention to promote the development of the nuclear power industry. Slovenia plans to start construction of the country's second nuclear reactor in 2013 and is expected to put it into operation in 2017. Lithuania is also planning to build a new nuclear reactor.