Nuclear energy is returning strongly to the European agenda, as energy security concerns and net-zero targets are pushing policymakers to consider new options. The summit on nuclear energy organised by the President of France has given fresh momentum to that debate.
Within this context, Professor Ανδρέας Πουλλικκάς of Πανεπιστήμιο Frederick and former chairman of ΡΑΕΚ explains why nuclear energy, and especially small modular reactors — SMRs — are returning as a realistic option. Not as a rival to ΑΠΕ, but as a complementary solution.
As he points out, Europe is moving towards a logic of technological neutrality, while new nuclear technologies are maturing. In this environment, SMRs stand out with specific advantages, including lower upfront cost, greater safety and more flexibility in deployment.
The picture, however, is not one-dimensional. Serious challenges remain, including high cost, waste management, social acceptance and the institutional gap that still exists.
For Cyprus, according to the analysis, nuclear energy could become part of a mixed energy system, offering reliability, the possibility of hydrogen production and support for water desalination. But for such a prospect to become realistic, long-term planning, institutional safeguards, investment, and political and social consensus are required.
