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.