The issue of the use of nuclear and coal as energy sources that can help achieve climate neutrality by 2050 divided the 27 EU Energy Ministers, who met in Brussels on Tuesday 24 September for a debate on the future of the energy sector after 2030.
Differences over nuclear and coal
For the Polish Energy Minister, Krzysztof Tchórzewski, it is impossible to achieve a climate-neutral Europe based solely on renewable energies and without the use of nuclear power. He then stressed the importance of implementing a fair and equitable transition, so that regions that are heavily dependent on coal are not unfairly penalised. It should be noted that Poland is the second largest coal producer in the EU after Germany and that about 80% of Poland's electricity comes from this energy.
Bulgarian and Hungarian Ministers Zhecho Stankov and Péter Kaderják, respectively, have both expressed a rather similar position. For the second, not only must nuclear energy be an essential part of the EU's energy mix, but the climate impact of renewable technologies must also be questioned. In his view, there is currently a political divide in the EU on what constitutes a truly sustainable energy source.
Mr Stankov, for his part, stressed Bulgaria's desire to continue to use lignite in line with European standards, with 46% of Bulgaria's energy being generated by coal. Like his Hungarian, Polish and Czech counterparts, he called for respect for national specificities and the right of each Member State to determine its energy mix.
In contrast, other countries such as Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Greece and Portugal have called for a gradual and total elimination of either nuclear or coal or both.
Asking Mr Tchórzewski, Luxembourg's Minister of Energy, Claude Turmes, said that nuclear infrastructure is now 2 to 4 times more expensive than renewable energy and takes 10 to 15 times longer to build. “I don't think it's really an alternative. We should focus on real solutions which are [energy] efficiency and renewables”, he said.
While Germany, like Poland, is heavily dependent on coal, its Secretary of State for Energy, Andreas Feicht, recalled Berlin's intention to phase it out by 2038. To this end, Germany intends to develop renewable energies in parallel and focus on energy efficiency.
For his part, Austria's Deputy Permanent Representative Gregor Schusterschitz regretted that the Commission was not proposing a target of 100% renewable energy by 2050. Responding to the argument that national energy sovereignty should be respected, he considered that such a scenario would not interfere with the choice of each Member State to develop its energy mix as it sees fit. According to him, by promoting a 100% renewable energy target, the Commission would instead show Member States what options are available without the use of nuclear power.
Points of convergence
Apart from the thorny issue of nuclear and coal, the Member States agreed on several points. The vast majority of them thus insisted on the need to develop new technologies, in particular with the aim of making greater use of hydrogen and storing electricity produced by renewable energies more efficiently. Some countries such as Germany, France and Belgium have also highlighted the importance of improving energy efficiency and therefore the insulation of buildings.
Finally, several Member States highlighted the potential of offshore wind turbines and the need to promote cross-border cooperation in this field. Germany has therefore called on the von der Leyen Commission to issue a legislative proposal along these lines as soon as possible, in order to facilitate the development of innovative projects at sea. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot – intern)