EU SMR Strategy offers roadmap to move from scattered projects to a shared EU endeavour
BRUSSELS — Clean Air Task Force (CATF) welcomed the European Commission’s Strategy for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a vital roadmap toward developing and deploying a strategic clean technology grounded in cross-country collaboration.
The strategy arrives as interest in SMRs grows across Member States, highlighting the importance of strategic alignment and the strengthening of the European nuclear supply chain and workforce.
The Commission rightly stresses that to grasp global technological leadership and tap into the clean energy benefits SMRs can bring EU countries must move past a fragmented approach to nuclear energy.
“Europe needs clean, reliable power. The problem isn’t technology – it’s coordination. CATF welcomes this Strategy as a necessary step toward aligning the policy, regulatory, and financial frameworks required to move SMR projects forward,” said Malwina Qvist, Director of the Nuclear Energy program at CATF. “A fragmented rollout will not be a winning strategy. EU Member States must fully leverage the benefits of European integration by aligning on reactor designs, licensing, and pooling resources across borders.”
A central pillar of SMR deployment in Europe must be the need to move away from treating nuclear plants as one-off, bespoke megaprojects. Instead, the EU must foster a “fleet-scale” deployment model that treats SMRs as high-tech industrial products manufactured in series.
“Fleet-scale deployment can fulfill the promise of serial factory production and bring costs down the learning curve,” Qvist continued. “One of the most effective solutions for this is the creation of European Orderbook: coordinated, repeat builds of standardised reactors that reduce risk and make projects financeable for investors.”
The strategy also emphasises the role of SMRs in providing clean low-carbon power and high-temperature heat for “hard-to-abate” sectors, such as chemicals and steel.
“SMRs offer an opportunity to deploy clean firm nuclear energy that supports decarbonisation, competitiveness, and energy security simultaneously,” Qvist added. “By providing reliable power and heat directly to industrial hubs, we can strengthen Europe’s industrial base while making the entire energy system more resilient.”
CATF notes that coordinated action across governments, regulators, and industry will be critical to translating this strategy into real-world projects that support Europe’s long-term economic and energy resilience.
Find further resources:
- Recommendations for the EU SMR Strategy
- Nuclear Energy Orderbook 101
- How nuclear energy can help decarbonise European Industry
Press Contact
Julia Kislitsyna, Communications Manager, Europe, [email protected], +49 151 16220453
About Clean Air Task Force
Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organisation working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalysing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 30 years of internationally recognised expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.
