The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and South Korea co-hosted the 3rd Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2025 conference in Paris, France. This annual event brings together government and industry leaders to address the most pressing issues for delivering new nuclear energy construction at the scale and pace required to meet the growing global expectations for nuclear energy.
During the meeting, the nine industry associations issued calling on all OECD member states to “take the necessary steps to enable a stronger global economy with affordable and stable energy prices while ensuring energy security and meeting growing global demands for clean and abundant electricity”.
“In particular we believe that there is a need to support investment in nuclear fission projects encompassing all nuclear technologies, from large scale nuclear new build, to power uprates and lifetime extensions of existing reactors, to development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors.”
The associations call for governments to ensure the long-term operation of all existing nuclear reactors for which it is technically feasible and to ensure “consistent and coherent” long-term policies to facilitate new nuclear projects. They also say there needs to be support for the entire nuclear value chain, including the nuclear fuel cycle with special focus on mining, conversion and enrichment to ensure security of nuclear fuel services from OECD countries.
Governments must also apply technology neutrality to clean energy sources, to achieve a successful expansion of the energy sector, essential both for end consumers of energy and to provide clear signals for investments in the nuclear sector. They should also build on the World Bank’s openness to funding nuclear energy projects, and enable access to public financing at the national and multi-national level which will also facilitate private financing.
The industry groups also call for the support of a “strong and collaborative” nuclear supply chain, to maximise the OECD’s potential to deliver new projects within the OECD and in other countries. They also encourage stronger cooperation between regulators to enable greater design standardisation, which will reduce costs and facilitate fleet deployment.
“We stand ready to continue working with governments in their commitment to support nuclear development to meet climate and energy security imperatives,” the statement said.
It was signed by the heads of the Canadian Nuclear Association, EPRI, GIFEN, Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Korean Atomic Industrial Forum, Nuclear Energy Institute, Nuclear Industry Association, Nucleareurope and World Nuclear Association.
Addressing the Finance session, World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León said: “Tripling global nuclear capacity is not just a goal – it is a necessity. To meet climate targets, ensure energy security, and power prosperity, progress and sustainable development for everyone everywhere, we must accelerate deployment, streamline regulation, and scale innovation.”
