Steve Halabura’s Post

I’m proud of the clean energy supply chains team in my Unit for featuring in the first of the JRC’s highlights of 2023 for their work on critical raw materials for the energy transition. As the report says: “The JRC…made a clear impact on Commission decision-making from the very early stages, leading to JRC findings being directly quoted in President von der Leyen’s State of the Union address in which the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act was announced.” And about our pivotal supply chains analysis, published alongside the Critical Raw Materials Act in 2023: “The Foresight Report helped shape the proposal, providing scientific evidence that underpins the CRM Act. It was instrumental in defining the scope of the Act”. My warmest thanks and congratulations to Michalis Christou for leading our supply chains team through this inspiring journey, and to the whole team for their dedication to this file – before, during and after the development of the Act. And of course to our colleagues across the JRC and in DG GROW with whom we collaborated closely. This is indeed a JRC success story of anticipation, integration and impact. Well done to all! Michalis Christou, Samuel Carrara, Patrícia Alves Dias, Ángel Prior, Teodor Kuzov, Anca Itul, Catriona Black, Lorcan Lyons, Julian Somers, Thomas Telsnig EU Science, Research and Innovation, EU for Social Economy & Social Enterprises #CriticalRawMaterials #EnergyTransition #ScienceforPolicy #PolicyImpact https://lnkd.in/eYxdMmHB

This CORWM paper focuses on the implications for the management of higher activity wastes and spent fuel resulting from the development of SMRs and AMRs. https://lnkd.in/dU24VDTA

Having the first new reactors built under a solid industrial policy that protects rate payers, investors, and aids in the development of the technology yields high paying jobs, education, advancement of trades for a century of opportunity. This is quite a return for any investment when you consider the tax benefits for communities and government. It’s nation building and capacity building.

Germany has been referenced many times as a cautionary tale of magical thinking in energy policy, with feel-good pronouncements that lack practical substance. The article below details the direct results of this wishful thinking - high electricity/energy prices as the leading factor in de-industrialization and economic woes. Neighboring countries, which noticed the trend of Germany relieving itself of reliable baseload sources of power while also compromising its energy security with large volumes of Russian NG, have decided to build up their nuclear capacity (Czechia, Poland, Hungary, France, Slovakia, Netherlands, Sweden) and are capturing Germany's leaking industrial base. The solution remains based in energy fundamentals of long-term cost-effective, reliable, secure, and sustainable energy. Germany closing its nuclear power plants has been a costly mistake and is an important lesson to be absorbed by energy planners. https://lnkd.in/eBtNmpzW

The #AdvanceAct, expected to reduce regulatory costs, simplify and shorten the environmental review process and strengthen the #US’s #NuclearEnergy #FuelCycle and #SupplyChain infrastructure... finally has been signed. What a good context to promotethe use of #CleanNuclearPower and the creation of #GoodUnionJobs!!!

What we talk about when we talk about electricity: New article by Hannes Sonnsjo. Read and enjoy •Nuclear power has been a recurring and dominant topic in Swedish debates. •Articles on grid capacity and system stability increased dramatically in 2019. •The policy discourse is becoming increasingly centred around security of supply. •Sweden is showing signs of a ‘regulatory remedy’ via several market interventions. https://lnkd.in/dehk4jtY

⚛️🇫🇷 The French Constitutional Council has addressed a priority question of constitutionality (QPC) raised by nuclear opponents regarding Cigéo, France’s geological storage project for the most radioactive waste. The Council has ruled that the project conforms to the French Constitution and respects the rights of future generations. Read more on the subject ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eZeuJCx9 #Nuclear | #Waste | #Cigéo

A great week and start of the year for nuclear energy! On February 6th, European Commission launched European Industrial Alliance on SMRs and, sequently, its online platform for applications in the alliance. Moreover, nuclear technologies were included under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) according to the provisional deal reached between the Council and the Parliament. This places nuclear energy on an equal footing with other net-zero technologies, such as renewables. These are great achievements for nuclear energy, reconfirmations at the highest EU level for its benefits, its role for decarbonation, energy security, social-economic development and energy prosperity. With nuclear formally recognised as a viable and available, clean, safe, stable and affordable source of energy, EU countries will act in coherence to deploy new nuclear projects and especially SMRs. With more than 27 years of safe & efficient nuclear operations, excellent professionals and a visionary approach for country's energy security and decarbonation, Romania embarked the road to SMRs several years ago, contributing to promoting the role and benefits of SMRs, doing the pivotal and pioneer work to deploy the first SMR in Europe. Congratulations on these achievements to all teams and countries working together on putting nuclear in the right spotlight!

The private sector is ready to address America’s spent fuel needs. Now it’s up to policymakers to implement laws to streamline innovation and provide a comprehensive strategy to address spent fuel.

Annabel Crabb political analysis explains some of what is really behind the LNP's NPP policy. While most of us are pulling out our collective hair on the policy's technical and economic feasibility, Annabel highlights it's a gamble to disrupt the Labor government, grab the headlines, cut through and perhaps sway public opinion and the polls in the run up to the next federal election sometime before September 2025. "... He (Dutton) keeps a fairly low profile, and has built political capital among his colleagues by being consultative and concentrating his efforts on criticising the government's errors rather than making his own. Peter Dutton has taken every single chip he's amassed, and he's put the whole lot on yellowcake" Dutton, and other LNP NPP and emission targets delayers, will have to convince the rest of their party that this all makes sense to take to the election and cracks are already forming as the article highlights. Whilst NPP will (most likely) never get up in Australia, what this policy announcement does achieve is to muddle the waters and seriously undermine public and investor confidence in the clean energy transition .... perhaps that's the real objective and hence this both bad faith policy and bad faith politics? https://lnkd.in/gY2VEKhU