In a letter to the European Commission on 5 September, the association for the nuclear energy industry, Nucleareurope, set out its recommendations for the forthcoming delegated act on the assessment of greenhouse gas emission savings from low-carbon hydrogen.
First of all, Nucleareurope is calling for more recent data to be used to indicate the “generic upstream emission factor” for nuclear electricity, thereby providing “a more accurate reflection of nuclear power’s low-carbon footprint”.
Secondly, the association recommends that the delegated act should recognise a specific carbon content for power purchase agreements (PPAs) for nuclear power, which differs from the grid average. On the same day, 33 industry associations and groups made a similar recommendation to the European Commission, in a letter initiated by the association France Hydrogène, expressing concern that the Commission was indeed opting for a calculation methodology based exclusively on emissions from the grid’s energy mix.
Nucleareurope then calls for a project-based approach to measuring emissions to provide a more contextualised, nuanced and accurate assessment of greenhouse gas savings.
Finally, it is important for the association that “all relevant [...] options” for the supply of electricity to electrolysers producing low-carbon fuels are covered by the delegated act. This includes grid electricity in areas with low-carbon power generation mixes and direct connections to nuclear power plants, including future small modular reactors (SMRs).
To see the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/dcu (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)