The nuclear industry has merely scratched the surface of the flexible benefits of nuclear power, according to panellists in a conference held this week ahead of the 11th Clean Energy Ministerial. The CEM11 side-event, Flexibility in Clean Energy Systems: The Enabling Roles of Nuclear Energy, included high-level speakers from the International Energy Agency, the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as government officials from Canada, the UK and the USA. Hosted by Saudi Arabia, CEM11 will take place on 22 September.

There are immediate actions that countries and stakeholders can take in understanding the importance of nuclear power in the transition to clean energy, according to a report published today by the Flexible Nuclear Campaign for Nuclear-Renewables Integration. FNC is a campaign of the Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future initiative under the Clean Energy Ministerial, and coordinated by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Prejudice towards nuclear power among some policymakers is preventing a fact-based assessment of its benefits, including the ability to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, Bohdan Zronek, chief nuclear officer at Czech utility ČEZ, told participants in World Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum last week. ČEZ was one of seven utilities that wrote to the European Commission in March, arguing that the nuclear industry ought to benefit from future sustainable financing.

The nuclear industry should work with policymakers on the design of market mechanisms that can produce a clear price signal to attract investors to this low-carbon form of electricity, Jostein Kristensen, partner with economics consultancy firm Oxera, told participants in World Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum last week. Markets currently do not reflect the value of nuclear power as a sustainable and reliable source of energy in the fight against climate change, he said.

Driving investment towards nuclear energy projects depends strongly on the perception and evaluation of the costs associated with them, Leonam dos Santos Guimarães, CEO of Eletronuclear, told participants in World Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum last week. Brazil has two nuclear reactors generating about 3% of its electricity, but construction of a third is currently stalled.

The future of nuclear power in China is promising, Zheng Mingguang, Chief Engineer at China's State Power Investment Corporation told World Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum 2020 yesterday. He believes both the use of large and small-scale reactors will find applications in China beyond just electricity generation.

A high-level panel of senior political figures and experts from leading international energy organisations yesterday discussed how nuclear energy can address some of the most pressing issues the world is facing. The discussion took place during the first session of World Nuclear Association's Strategic eForum 2020.

The UK government today announced GBP65 million (USD84 million) of investment in future technologies, including GBP15 million to enable universities, research organisations and businesses to build robots to inspect, maintain and repair nuclear power stations, satellites and wind turbines. The robotics will also be used to address new problems resulting from the pandemic, including ones that can operated remotely and make contact-free deliveries or move hospital beds.

Polish Climate Minister Michał Kurtyka yesterday unveiled his plan to construct six new nuclear power units by 2040 as the country transitions to a clean energy economy. This plan includes reducing the share of coal in electricity production to between 37% and 56% in 2030, and to between 11% and 28% in 2040, depending on CO2 prices. Coal last year accounted for 74% of Polish electricity generation.

The ministries responsible for the energy sector in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have reached an agreement to cease electricity trading with Belarus when it commissions its nuclear power plant and to introduce a system of certificates stating the origin of electricity.

Leaders of World Nuclear Association working groups participated in a webinar yesterday to highlight some of the issues of key importance to the global nuclear industry. These include: harmonisation in reactor licensing; energy market design; safety regulation; and, new applications of nuclear energy. The Industry Gamechangers webinar was a pre-event to the Association's Strategic eForum to be held next week.