Nuclear power will give Poland energy security, keep its rapid industrialisation cost-competitive and help it to achieve climate neutrality, Minister of Climate Michał Kurtyka said during a Nuclear Energy Agency WebChat this week. In conversation with NEA Director General William Magwood, Kurtyka said Poland had long-coveted nuclear power and was looking forward to the many benefits it offers as the country plans a clean energy future.

The European Commission should acknowledge the importance of harmonising the European nuclear supply chain and support EU Member States in reviewing their regulatory framework to enable the use of modern high-quality components manufactured for other industries, according to Foratom. The European nuclear trade body said a strong and harmonised European nuclear supply chain can also help the EU revive its economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The programme to decommission the Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant in the Slovak Republic has achieved a major milestone, with the successful removal of the first reactor pressure vessel that will now permit remote dismantling of the facility, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced today.

The European nuclear industry has written an open letter to the European Commission, saying it is ready to play an important part in supporting a low-carbon economic revival. The letter, addressed to EC President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Maria Sassoli and European Council President Charles Michel, was signed by 25 companies and 14 associations, including European nuclear trade body Foratom.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the continued operations of the Euratom Supply Agency. When the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) was established in 1958, its founding Treaty of Rome recognised the necessity to ensure a regular and equitable supply of nuclear materials to all consumers in the Community.

Foratom said today it "regrets" that the European Commission has ignored the need for nuclear power as a clean, dispatchable and European source of energy in its green recovery plan published today. These three elements are essential, it says, if the EU really wants to decarbonise its economy, create jobs and ensure that citizens, hospitals and businesses have access to the energy they need when they need it.

A newly released Euratom Supply Agency report has identified the three biggest threats to the availability of nuclear fuel in the EU - a lack of transport hubs open to nuclear shipments; a lack of investment in conversion facilities; and permanent reduction of production and withdrawal from uranium exploration.

The European Court of Justice should dismiss an appeal brought by Austria in respect of the European Commission's approval of state aid for the planned Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power plant in the UK, Advocate General Gerard Hogan has concluded. His opinion will be taken into account when the European Court of Justice rules on Austria's appeal of the General Court's 2018 decision to reject the case.

A group of more than 100 scientists and environmentalists have written to the European Commission calling for a "timely and just assessment" of nuclear energy in the EU Taxonomy. The letter was sent by Satu Helynen, acting president of the Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform, and addressed to EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and to two European Commission vice-presidents, Valdis Dombrovskis and Frans Timmermans.

"It is important to ensure that nuclear energy is treated on an equal footing with other low-carbon energy sources by EU decision makers," says Esa Hyvärinen, the new president of Brussels-based industry group Foratom. Nuclear, he says, will play an important role in meeting the bloc's climate targets.

Scientists working on the Joint European Torus device have discovered that neon could be used to force extreme heat load away from a fusion reactor's exhaust system while maintaining high performance. Recent tests used neon to radiate and improve the edge of plasma known as a 'pedestal', which separates the very hot core from a cooler layer and away from material surfaces.

Seven utilities have written to the European Commission, urging it to create an independent group of scientists and experts to evaluate whether nuclear power is a low-carbon and sustainable source of electricity. One of the seven, Czech utility ČEZ, said yesterday that it had "joined the challenge" facing the main European energy companies to gain the EC's agreement that the nuclear industry ought to benefit from future sustainable financing.