Von der Leyen Calls Nuclear Phaseout a 'Strategic Mistake'
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Ursula von der Leyen admitted at a nuclear energy summit in France that turning away from nuclear was a 'strategic mistake' for Europe and pledged €200 million for 'innovative nuclear technologies' such as small modular reactors.
- Von der Leyen reportedly sent a letter to EU member states advising against the 'premature decommissioning' of existing nuclear plants that 'can continue to supply reliable, cost-effective, and low-emission electricity.'
- Japan has restarted five nuclear reactors since 2022, adding 4.6 GW of baseload capacity that does not depend on imported commodities, according to Wood Mackenzie.
- South Korea has identified 7.8 GW of nuclear capacity originally scheduled to retire by 2030 for life extensions, with nuclear already supplying a third of the country's 26 GW of total power generation.
- Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to build more nuclear, calling it 'key to reconciling both independence – and thus energy sovereignty – with decarbonisation.'
- The International Energy Agency reported 413 GW of global nuclear capacity, avoiding 1.5 gigatonnes of emissions and 180 billion cubic meters of gas demand annually, noting wind and solar cannot shoulder the forecast electricity demand surge alone even with batteries.
- Wood Mackenzie analyst Xiaonan Feng said energy security will continue to 'accelerate nuclear expansion, delay coal retirements and drive greater emphasis on domestic energy supply chains' in Japan and South Korea — though nuclear cannot replace gas in fertilizer production, where Middle East disruption is already driving food price inflation.
Why it matters: Von der Leyen, who once voted for Germany's nuclear phaseout as a lawmaker, is now pledging €200 million and urging EU states to avoid 'premature decommissioning' — a major political reversal that adds momentum to concrete capacity gains: 4.6 GW restarted in Japan since 2022 and 7.8 GW of life extensions in South Korea past 2030, all bypassing volatile Middle Eastern gas supply chains.
