Greece to participate in European Nuclear Alliance

Greece is going to explore its options for the introduction of nuclear energy, according to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Speaking during the Energy Transition Summit in Athens, Mitsotakis expanded on his previous statements about nuclear energy and its possible role in the Greek energy mix.

“We are ready to join the Nuclear Alliance. This is not something that is going to happen tomorrow, but Greece must be a part of the discussion,” said the prime minister. The European Nuclear Alliance, launched in 2023, is an initiative of 13 European Union member states. Among them are Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania.

Its goal is to promote nuclear energy and help maintain its role in Europe. Italy has just joined the group.

It is not the first time that Greece has shown interest in the technology. The current government has floated the idea of co-financing a new nuclear power plant in Bulgaria, as part of the deal that would include guaranteed power imports. So far, nothing has materialized.

Mitsotakis also mentioned small modular reactors (SMRs) again as a possible solution, as well as installing reactors in ships to help the sector decarbonize. “We must explore how a naval nation such as Greece can utilize nuclear energy in its fleet,” Mitsotakis noted.

Mitsotakis: Net zero is impossible without nuclear

He added that the world would not be able to cut net greenhouse gas emissions to zero without the technology. According to the prime minister, nuclear fusion is very promising.

Public mistrust and cost issues

There are difficult obstacles to the government’s ambitions. Greek people remain heavily opposed to the installation of nuclear facilities, both inside and near the country. The energy crisis made public opinion only a bit more favorable.

Furthermore, Greece has no experience with nuclear energy and no people engaged in the sector. Everything would have to be created from scratch, from the regulatory framework to the technical knowhow.

Then there is the matter of cost. Even though many voices around the world support a nuclear revival, few new commercial projects have been initiated for traditional nuclear stations. Most new reactors, like in China, are subsidized by the state. Even in Europe, a large part of the discussion concerns renewing and upgrading existing reactors.

The Greek government has raised energy costs as a primary issue for the country and Southeastern Europe. It remains to be seen whether such power plants could operate on a purely commercial basis or if a support scheme could be used.

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May 16, 2025

by AEA in News

Serbia to soon finish study on use of nuclear energy – minister

The preliminary study on the use of nuclear energy in Serbia should be completed by the end of the second quarter, according to Dubravka Đedović Handanović, the Minister of Mining and Energy.

A preliminary technical study for considering the peaceful use of nuclear energy is being prepared by French state-owned energy utility EDF and engineering company Egis Industries. The two companies won a tender organized by the Ministry of Mining and Energy.

Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović told public broadcaster RTS that the study focuses on three aspects. The first one is developing a roadmap for the implementation of 19 institutional and infrastructural steps for a potential nuclear program.

Experts from Serbia’s TSO EMS are involved in the preparation of the study

The roadmap, in her words, must be in line with the guidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The second topic is an analysis of available technologies, including conventional nuclear power plants and small modular reactors (SMRs), and the third is to consider how a nuclear plant, depending on capacity, could be integrated into the country’s energy system.

Experts from Serbia’s transmission system operator Elektromreža Srbije are providing help in the third part, she noted.

Serbia would need to choose a partner for the development of a nuclear power project

According to Đedović Handanović, SMRs are a technology under development for cheaper facilities, which require less time to be built than conventional reactors.

“It is up to us to look at the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies, of which one is under development and the other is proven in the market, and say what we want to go with. Of course, if all the preconditions are met. Also, finally, with whom, as all the main developers of the technologies are certain companies from different parts of the world,” she stressed.

Baseload energy is crucial for the stability of the energy system

The minister pointed out that the IAEA prescribes clear steps each country must fulfill if it is considering the development of a nuclear program. It means no country can do anything on its own, she added.

“All those institutional and infrastructural prerequisites have to be checked, approved, verified, and ultimately monitored by the IAEA,” Đedović Handanović underlined.

Speaking about the long-term strategy, she recalled that baseload energy is crucial to secure the stability of the energy system. In Serbia it is currently provided from coal and natural gas, while nuclear plants can also play the role.

Natural gas, in her words, will serve as a transitional fuel for baseload energy for another 20-30 years, so it is necessary to find a long-term solution. Nuclear energy is one of the options, but it requires a lot of experience, time, and investment, Đedović Handanović noted.

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