A strange bird, on the Hungarian tarmac. On April 6, planted in front of their control screens at the Pápa military base in Hungary, the air traffic controllers probably did not understand how the Ilyushin Il-76, which left Moscow at the start of the morning, could have landed there. . Since February 27 and the start of the war in Ukraine, European airspace has been closed to Russian planes. Despite everything, it was able to fly over Poland and then Slovakia before landing on this base located in the west of the country. A privilege granted because of a precious cargo: nuclear fuel produced by the public giant Rosatom. The Central European country, which operates four Russian technology reactors (VVERs) in Paks, needs it to produce its electricity. It is not the only one… Hungary, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia: in the former Soviet bloc countries, no less than 14 VVER technology reactors operate with this plant fuel produced in Russia. One more addiction and migraine to manage, for these countries, some of which are already largely supplied with Putin’s gas.
In recent weeks, the emergency on the hydrocarbons front has largely overshadowed the links between Russia and Europe in the atom sector. And yet. Backed by its actor Rosatom, the most powerful on the world stage, the Kremlin has forged multiple partnerships in the countries of the Old Continent, selling fuel, but also the enriched uranium necessary for its manufacture, a range of services ranging from maintenance to waste management, or nuclear power plant projects. In Hungary, Putin granted a loan of 10 billion euros to his counterpart Viktor Orban for the construction of two new reactors in Paks. In Finland, financing of up to 34% of a reactor project at Hanhikivi has been announced. “Rosatom has been a global nuclear heavyweight since its restructuring by Vladimir Putin in 2007. It is also a company with a special status, thought of as a geostrategic weapon in the hands of the Kremlin”, underlines Teva Meyer, lecturer in geography and geopolitics at the University of Haute-Alsace and nuclear specialist.
In the trap of Rosatom
A state of affairs which has led the nuclear countries to an examination of conscience since the invasion in Ukraine. And, for some, aftershocks. In Finland, the Ministry of Defense has asked to reconsider the Hanhikivi project, even if it remains on track for the moment. In Hungary, the nuclear safety authority is increasingly skeptical about the Paks 2 project, and the opposition to Orban wants to reconsider this project. On the fuel side, the countries of the former Soviet bloc are for their part increasing contacts, in particular with the American Westinghouse. “It will take time because it is necessary to beef up Westinghouse’s production capacities in Europe and to certify their fuels for all types of Russian reactors”, points out Teva Meyer.
Closer to home, France and Bercy have for the moment denied the somewhat bizarre hypothesis of Rosatom taking a stake in the capital of Geast, recently bought by EDF and which produces the famous Arabelle turbines in Belfort. A company of which Rosatom is the biggest customer. France and its atom sector are indeed closely linked to Rosatom. In 2018, a study by Sfen estimated the benefits generated for French industry by the sale of a VVER reactor at one billion euros. Surveyed by the Express, the heavyweights of the sector (EDF, Framatome, Orano) minimize the weight of these partnerships, explain to look into it, adding that they will apply the sanctions if these were to target the Russian nuclear sector.
It’s not yet the case. Since February 24, Brussels has stuck to a simple course of action: not to opt for retaliatory measures that would penalize the Old Continent more than Russia. Still, when it comes to nuclear power, his silence is eloquent. Both on the identification of dependencies and economic ties to be settled with Russia and on the role that the rebound of European nuclear could play for the energy autonomy of the continent, regret several sources. The RePowerU plan, unveiled a few weeks ago, thus mentions many solutions to ensure the continent’s energy autonomy: wind power, solar photovoltaic, heat pumps, energy savings, diversification of supplies via liquefied natural gas, biogas. The fate of the atom, a non-intermittent low-carbon energy, is not mentioned at all. “The Brussels general staff is paralyzed on this subject, article 40 of the Euratom treaty nevertheless allows it in theory to support a common investment program for nuclear power”, underlines a lobbyist from the sector. “The inclusion of nuclear power in the green taxonomy aims not to take this energy out of the basket of solutions. But an agreement on a coordinated recovery will be very difficult”, replies Pascal Canfin, chairman of the environment committee of the European Parliament.
The European nuclear revival
The States, themselves, are advancing in dispersed order on the issue. But the war in Ukraine is a powerful catalyst. Belgium has just postponed the closure of its nuclear power plants, initially scheduled for 2025, for ten years. At the end of March, the Polish President met Joe Biden in Warsaw. An exchange where it was notably a question of accelerating the program of construction of six nuclear reactors in the country. In the Netherlands or in Romania, very clear signals in favor of an energy revival have been issued in recent days. The Czech Republic for its part officially launched the call for tenders for the construction of a new reactor at the Dukovany nuclear power plant last March. Finally, outside the EU, the United Kingdom’s energy security strategy announced on 8th April provides for the creation of eight nuclear reactors. “We no longer live in the same world as two months ago. Advertisements that were oriented towards the fight against global warming today join the issue of energy independence”, deciphers Sylvaine Dhion, engineer and member of the ShiftProject.
This series of announcements does not preempt the political, financial and industrial challenges that will arise in the realization of these projects. At the diplomatic level, the aversion of the Germans and the Austrians on the nuclear question and the threats – legal and legal – addressed to certain nations, as Germany has just done to Poland, could slow down this revival. “It is not normal for Germany to continue to impose its energy choices on other countries. We must sanctuary technological neutrality”, chokes a French industrialist. On the financial level, if the taxonomy which classified nuclear power as a transitional energy capable of attracting private capital has been received positively, particularly in France, many regret the very narrow application conditions. This could temper the appetite of investors already unconvinced by the returns of this very capital-intensive industry with its many industrial risks.
French industry at work
At the industrial level, finally, the revival of the nuclear sector acutely poses the problem of independence in order to relocate as much as possible the products and services that it previously purchased from Rosatom. Incidentally, the competitiveness of the sector will be a key factor. “Russia and China have taken a considerable lead. If Europe and in particular France do not roll up their sleeves, they will not be able to offer anything relevant, technologically and economically speaking”, advances this same industrialist. Yves Desbazeille, managing director of Foratom, which represents the interests of the sector at European level, prefers to see the glass half full: “We have all the jobs specific to nuclear power in Europe. Today, the market is expectant. If a strong political signal comes from the Commission, the supply chain will mobilize. It’s always the story of the chicken and the egg”, he explains. For lack of having succeeded in unlocking this Brussels lock for the moment, we would rather opt for the snake biting its own tail.