NNWE Reception Invitation

How can nuclear energy contribute to delivering the COP21 Paris CO2 reduction goals?

Venue: Prague Marriott Hotel, V Celnici 1028/8, 110 00 Praha 1-Nové Město, Czechia

Time: 12.00 – 13.30, Monday 22 May 2017

Chaired by:

Tim Yeo, Chairman, New Nuclear Watch Europe (NNWE)

Speakers include:

Lenka Kovačovská, Deputy Minister, Ministry for Industry and Trade, Czech Republic Government;

Petr Závodský, Director Nuclear Power Plants Construction, ČEZ;

and a confirmed speaker from the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic.

Representatives from DG Energy, and the Hungarian, Bulgarian and Estonian Governments have also been invited.

Following our successful side event at last year’s ENEF in Bratislava, NNWE invites you to attend our upcoming reception focusing on ‘How can nuclear energy contribute to delivering the COP21 Paris CO2 reduction goals?’

The reception is timed to coincide with the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) Plenary Meeting (22/23 May – Czech National Bank, Prague) and will take place at the Marriott Hotel prior to the ENEF Conference, which begins at 14.00. The Marriott Hotel is located 350 metres away from the ENEF venue.

The Deputy Minister will give an opening address, followed by a panel discussion which will focus on the importance of nuclear energy in meeting the Paris climate change objectives.

Due to limited space, places will be served on a first-come-first-served basis. To register for the NNWE Reception, please email Ed Gavaghan: contact@newnuclearwatch.eu. This event is free to attend.

CONTENT

With the Paris Agreement signalling a step-change in the fight against climate change, the role of nuclear energy has been consistently recognised as one of the key solutions to decreasing emission levels and ensuring security of supply.

The latest EU PINC report highlights that 105GWe of new nuclear generation will be needed by 2050 – roughly 100 new plants. With 50% of European reactors due to come offline, or pass their 60-year online threshold, by 2050, and only 18 NPPs currently in development, planned, or proposed within the EU-28 to replace them. The need for urgent action if the EU is to meet its global climate change commitments is fast approaching.

Across wider Europe, the story is slightly more positive. Over 95 reactors are planned or proposed – including in Belarus, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK post-2019. However, we are now in the position where one of the foremost arbiters of the climate change agreement – the EU – is coming under increased pressure from powerful anti-nuclear member states within its borders. This will only make it harder for the industry to contribute to much needed energy security and to a strong European economy.

NNWE’s Reception will aim to discuss this dilemma and potential solutions. This will be through advocating the importance of nuclear energy in meeting domestic, European, and global climate change objectives and highlighting the key role it will play in delivering security of supply as nations decrease their reliance on fossil fuels (most notably within transport as EV cars become more widely available putting increased pressure on electricity demand). Most importantly, we need to discuss how pro-nuclear European nations can work together to enhance post-Paris (and post-Brexit) co-operation within the nuclear industry.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Can global climate change commitments be met without nuclear technology?
2. Energy demand in developed economies is plateau-ing, but the need for electricity is ever increasing. What steps need to be taken to ensure nuclear is the ‘preferred’ option for new energy infrastructure?
3. High upfront costs have been an ongoing argument against new nuclear, therefore how can costs be reduced as competition between energy technologies increases?
4. As countries start to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and revise them from 2020 onward, do you think more countries will highlight nuclear as a key part of their future energy mix? So far, only 10 nations have suggested nuclear as part of their initial NDC.

ABOUT NNWE

Established at end of 2014 under the chairmanship of Tim Yeo (former UK Member of Parliament and Chair of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee) NNWE is an interest group which aims to ensure nuclear power is recognised as an important and desirable way for European governments to meet the long-term security needs of their countries. Membership is open to all companies, individuals and organisations active in the nuclear industry including those involved in the supply chain.

For more information, please visit our website: www.newnuclearwatch.eu.