Nuclear Industry Calls For Level Playing Field For All Forms Of Low-Carbon Technologies

Posted by SONE on 14 February 2014 in Historic

Tagged with: European Union, Foratom, Low Carbon, State aid.

The European Union should promote a level playing field for all forms of low-carbon technologies and make sure that all options available are taken into consideration without discrimination, the European nuclear energy industry association Foratom has said.

In a response to the European Commission (EC) consultation on environment and energy state aid guidelines, the Brussels-based Foratom has said that nuclear technology can help ensure a competitive, secure and low-carbon EU economy.

Foratom said the EC’s guidelines on state aid for environmental protection should consider all practical technologies to help deliver decarbonisation of the EU economy as eligible for aid compatible with EU rules, without specific technology preferences.

“It is clear that the current market arrangements do not deliver the necessary signals for long-term investment in low-carbon technologies, especially nuclear,” Foratom said.

“Foratom encourages the EC to mention in particular that current support schemes for individual renewable energy systems (RES) are expanded to all low-carbon sources including also carbon capture and storage (CCS) and nuclear.”

Special emphasis should be given to the need for ensuring that investments for further innovation in the nuclear sector are guaranteed, Foratom said.

In October 2013, EC competition commissioner Joaqín Almunia said nuclear power will be excluded from the new guidelines on state aid for energy and environmental protection.

Foratom said this exclusion should not be interpreted as nuclear power being excluded from support mechanisms.

The guidelines are expected to be adopted in the first half of 2014.