Activities of Damien CARÊME related to 2023/2109(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on small modular reactors
Amendments (49)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25
Citation 25
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 26
Citation 26
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 27 a (new)
Citation 27 a (new)
– having regards to the report of the French Energy Regulatory Commission of 27 July 2023 on the costs of nuclear power plants;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30
Citation 30
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU is a party to the Paris Agreement and has committed to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU must mitigate its own risks of external dependence in terms of energy supplies, including on supply of fuels for nuclear power plants;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, the innovative developments in nuclear power technology, particularly small modular reactors (SMRs), represent a promising pathway towards achieving the Union’s energy and climate objectives and offer considerable opportunities in terms of100 nuclear power reactors, operating in 12 of the 27 EU member states account for about one- quarter of the electricity generated in the whole of the EU but no Member State has small modular reactors operational yet; whereas over half of the EU’s nuclear electricity is production, industrial heat, hydrogen generation and district heatinged in one Member State only (France);
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas SMRs is deemed to offer a lower initial capital investment, greater scalability and siting flexibility for locations unable to accommodate more traditional larger reactors, and now have the potential for enhanced safety and security compared to earlier design but its economic competitiveness is still to be proven according to the IAEA; whereas greater scalability and siting flexibility for locations depend on a number of factors which are mostly subject to national regulation; whereas safety and security requirements should remain high for SMRs;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the deployment of SMRs can help driveis not foreseen before early to mid-2030s at the earliest and its impact on economic growth, job create jobs and contribute toion and the EU’s global competitiveness in this rapidly developing sphere of technologys difficult to predict in 2023;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. Whereas there are currently only three SMRs operating in the world, including two in Russia that were launched nine years later than scheduled and with performance below expected standards; whereas the third SMR, operating in China, was only functional for a few hours in 2021 and whereas an additional project of adding 18 more units to it was abandoned because of increased costs;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Commission, in its declaration of 4 April 2023 on EU SMRs 2030, welcomed the collaborative efforts of the European nuclear industry and scientific community to achieve the common goal of a modern, resource- efficient and competitive economy and recognised that nuclear, and particularly SMRs, can play an important role even beyond electricity production if the significant committed funds to research, development and innovation on SMRs lead to concrete design solutions;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the Commission has emphasised that nuclear and radiation protection expertise is needed across the Member States to ensure the safety, security and safeguarding of existing and future nuclear power plants, including SMRs, industrial and medical applications and space exploration initiatives;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the Commission declaration on EU SMRs 2030, which emphasises the role of research, innovation, education and training in the safety of SMRs in the EU and the need for all sectors to contribute to the transformation of the EU’s economy to achieve climate neutrality, energy security and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the potential of nuclear power and SMRs in contributing to the EU’s clean energy goals; at nuclear energy use is declining globally and that new nuclear power plants, including SMRs, won’t be available in the EU before early to mid 2030s at best and therefore are unlikely to contribute to EU’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy forCommission to analyse the depveloypment of SMRs inoutside the EU, taking into account the specific needs and circumstances of different regions and sectorsincluding the costs and timelines of existing projects at early stage and those under construction;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges that SMRs have the potential to play a significant role in replacing fossil fuels17 ; _________________ 17 https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/Eur opeanSMRPrePartnership.are not foreseen as operational before mid-2030s and are not a competitive alternative in replacing fossil fuels in order to meet the Paris Agreement compared to renewable energies, deployable at large scale in the next decade;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. EncouReiteragtes the use of SMRs for low-carbon hydrogen productionimportance for the EU to invest as a priority in renewable hydrogen in order to produce 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030, as mentioned in the EU Hydrogen Strategy;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RecogniseQuestions the potential role of SMRs for industrial heat production as advanced SMR technology, based on other coolants, first needs to lead to operational reactors in the future and there are still currently obstacles to operationability such as new manufacturing of fuels, the handling of waste and reprocessing facilities for recycled fuels;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. AcknowledgeQuestions the potential of SMRs for district heating as light water SMR technology first needs to achieve operational stage and the availability of grid connections and the necessary skills and experience in running these reactors remain a key issue in the possible development of SMRs;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises that so far, nodespite years of research and millions of euros invested, only a few SMRs have been commercially operated in the world, but; notes that more than 80 SMR designs are currently at different stages of development and deployment in 18 countries; stresses that the EU should therefore not get left behind in the global race for leadership in the future SMR marke but no transparent information on costs and timelines are publicly available at this stage; notes that the EU has expressed its willingness to invest in research, innovation, education and training, including on safety and radioactive waste management;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Emphasises that the European nuclear sector is a strong asset and recognissome Member States that the EU already has a high degree ofve expertise and experience in nuclear technologies that can be applied to the development and deployment of SMRs, with a supply chain that could generate most of the added value within Europewhile others do not have nuclear energy as part of their energy mix; notes that only a few Member States have expressed interest in developing SMRs in the coming years;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recognises that a growing number ofMember States are sovereign in deciding on their energy mix and while some Member States are considering nuclear for their energy mixly on this technology, the share of nuclear energy is reducing in the EU and some Member States are not exploiting it or are phasing it out;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises that as electrification is a key element in all transition scenarios, nuclear energy, as a low-carbon source of energy with a strong domestic industry, will be a necessary part of the solution to achieve climate neutrality and that decarbonisation of the electricity sector should be completed by 2035 in order to reach climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest; notes that SMRs are not expected to be operational - let alone at large scale - before mid-2030s; recalls that the levelized cost of electricity from renewables, such as solar and wind power, is much lower than the one for nuclear electricity and that renewable electricity costs of production have been continuously decreasing;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. WelcomNotes the creation of the so- called ‘European SMR partnership’ in the form of a collaboration scheme involving industrial stakeholders, research and technological organisations, interested customers, European regulators and the Commission;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Adapted policy and regulatory framework: technology neutrality
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recognises that a basic condition for SMRs to develop in the EU is to ensure that a conduciveNotes that there is currently no global or EU market for SMRs given the national sensitivities around nuclear energy technology and the willingness from each country to champion its own industries; recognises that for SMRs to benefit from possible economy of scale, a standardised policy and regulatorylicensing framework iswould need to be put in place;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recognises that the implementation of appropriate contractual and fit is difficult to independently estimate the costs of SMRs in the future and that in ancial mechanisms is needed to provide long-term predictay case, nuclear technology is dependent from public financing; notes that in the US, the costs of the design approval only for the most advanced SMR process was estimated at already half a billityon USD;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to launch a specific industrial strategy for SMRs; Notes that given the freedom of Member States to decide on their energy mix, a coordinated EU-27 strategy for SMRs seems unlikely in the near future;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Emphasises that innovation and adaptation will be key to meet SMR designers’ expectations in terms of fuel cycle and waste management; Notes the risk that SMRs development could lead to the production of more nuclear waste in the future1a; notes that the management of nuclear waste remains a general concern in Europe for the impact on the environment and on future generations; notes that the possible development of SMRs raises the question of manufacturing of fuels and reprocessing facilities for recycled fuels as availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium is not yet available at commercial scale; _________________ 1a Nuclear waste from small modular reactors, May 31, 2022: https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pna s.2111833119
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Emphasises that nuclear support from public authorities to guarantechnology is a more expensive way of generating electricity than renewable energies with a higher levelized cost of electricity; notees the competitiveness of the SMR supply chain will be essential in enabling service providers to take a long-term view and accelerate their projects to meet the market window of opportunityat SMR technology cannot be competitive in the future without massive subsidies from public authorities; is worried that investment in SMRs for the next decade will be made at the expense of investment in much-needed renewable energy and storage solutions, which are already available to meet the EU 2030 climate and energy commitments;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Points out that SMRs present similar concerns as large nuclear power plants in terms of nuclear waste management, accident risks, vulnerability to terrorist attacks and the risk of nuclear proliferation; is therefore concerned about the multiplication of location sites leading to a multiplication of risks and the need for increased safety;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recognises that the business model of SMR producers will rely onis build upon the assumption of the series effect of building a large number of similar SMRs in different countries; notes that design standardisation is keya pre-requisite to unlocking the competitive advantages of mass production but is facing significant obstacles given the national sovereignty approach around nuclear energy;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. EmphasiNotes that similarly, licencing processes thare need to identify the elements for establishing a European pre-licensing process based on commonly accepted safety assessments in the licensing of the same SMR designationally-designed and vary across countries; notes that given the freedom of each Member State to decide on its energy mix, any attempt to establishing a European pre-licensing process seems unlikely in the future; recalls that a pre-licensing process would in any case not guarantee a de facto green light for operational use of SMRs, which should still have to pass safety standards;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. EmphasisesAcknowledges that given the safety and legal concerns around nuclear energy, it is understandable that the regulatory bodies should creaapproval of SMR design takes several years; notes the conditions to ease the licensing process of SMRsat SMRs developers usually need several years themselves to be ready between the announcement and submission of an approval request;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 7
Subheading 7
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recognises the nfreed to sufficiently explore and identify all possible options for financing European SMR productionom of Member States to decide on their energy mix and to explore financing options for energy technologies, in line with EU competition policy;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the factNotes that the Euratom research and training programme already funds research projects related to the safety and licensing of SMR technologies; emphasises, however, that more coordinated funding is needed especially on waste management and recycling fuel capacities;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Emphasises that a robust, capable and reliable supply chain is critical for the success of mass-produced SMRs; is concerned about the rapid increase in demand and use of materials that large- scale production of SMRs may entail; recalls the European Union's extreme dependency on imported uranium and the impact on its sovereignty and energy security of supply; notes that, in 2021, the European Union relied only on five countries for 96% of its natural uranium supplies including around 20% from Russia;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Recognises the need to define a comprehensive research and development (R&D) roadmap that meets both market expectations and safety requirements and, furthermore, to identify the experimental infrastructure required to implement this roadmap, alongside the necEU’s climate and energy commitments for 2030 and 2050, alongside the necessary training and education programmes; reiterates that in all projection scenarios, renewable energiess ary training and education programmese being boosted and are no regret investments for the future;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 273 #
30. Recognises that increased resources for R&D in state-of-the-art nuclear powerenergy storage and batteries are needed;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Recognises the need to develop training in key nuclear construction skillsin some Member States to develop skills and experience in nuclear reactors operational capacity, in order to ensure safety and legal requirements are met;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. RNotes with concern that SMRs are likely to produce even more nuclear waste than conventional nuclear power plants, up to 30 times more radioactive waste per unit of electricity according to a study from 2022; recognises the need to provide uniform rules regarding the responsibility of SMR owners for the handling and storage of radioactive waste, as well as for the recycling of spent nuclear fuel;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses the need for an annual report by the Commission assessing progress in thMember States investing in SMRs technologies to provide regular and transparent data on costs and safety measures for the possible development of SMRsthis technology;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34