Security of supply in European nuclear energy

Mitigating risk and searching for balanced strategies

12 November 2015, 4:30 - 8 PM CET

TUSIAD Avenue des Gaulois, 13, Brussels 1040

Over the past decade, energy policy circles in Brussels have focused heavily on the security of natural gas supplies from external suppliers while until recently supply security of other fuels comprising the European energy mix have received less attention. Nuclear energy remains a vital part of Europe's energy supplies and the nuclear power industry now needs to concentrate on implementing strategies for mitigating security of supply risks.

This particularly applies to the trade in nuclear fuel. Each risk mitigation strategy has costs and benefits. Some utilities choose to have different suppliers at certain stages of the fuel cycle, while others opt for a single supplier for all four stages of the cycle. The nuclear fuels trade remains a very specific component of the wider-European energy trade where associated security of supply related questions remain as topical as ever, including:

Will diversification as a generic risk mitigation strategy work and be economic at every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle?
Is operation of a mixed core (fuel assemblies fabricated by more than one vendor working in one reactor simultaneously) necessary to ensure diversification? Is it equally safe and economic for each type of reactor, including PWRs?
What impact would such diversification have on the bottom-line of the utilities that now use a turn-key fuel cycle solution?
Are there other risk mitigation strategies available to utilities and what would be the best approach in relation to the scale of risk?
Should EU policy-makers consider introduction of a scheme of reciprocal contingency supply contracts between vendors or encourage non-EU vendors to create fabrication capacities in the EU sufficient to cover utility needs in the event of disruption?

The members who joined us for this meeting of the Brussels Energy Club on November 12 benefited from expert reflections and open discussion on coping with the challenge of security of supply in the European nuclear energy sector.

Program:

Welcoming remarks by Dr. Bahadir Kaleagasi, Chairman, Brussels Energy Club
Setting out the debate by Dr. Marat Terterov, Executive Director, Brussels Energy Club
Presentations by Tomas Vlcek Ph.D. and Martin Jirusek, Brussels Energy Club External Guest Speakers from the Czech Republic, and Hanna Virlander from Finland
Reflections and remarks by members and guests of the Brussels Energy Club, leading into the Q/A session (NB: all discussions during the session will take place under the Chatham House Rule).
Buffet supper reception and networking opportunities with the speakers and other external guests from the nuclear energy sector