The Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) and the European Atomic Forum (Foratom) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) om 27 January to collaborate in nuclear energy and to promote clean, innovative and advanced nuclear technologies.
Foratom said the agreement will strengthen both associations’ efforts in advancing nuclear energy’s development, application, and deployment to meet climate change goals.
CNA President and CEO John Gorman noted that nuclear energy already makes important contributions to combating climate change. “This agreement will work to ensuring that nuclear is part of the clean energy mix to meet the climate change challenge on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Foratom Director General Yves Desbazeille said climate change is a global challenge. “This is why it is important that all regions of the world work together to find solutions. Together, we will be able to send a coordinated message to our policymakers with the goal of demonstrating the important role which different nuclear technologies can play.”
The MOU addresses the need for greater dialogue and exploration of nuclear’ s role in effective environmental stewardship. It includes:
- advocating more explicit and prominent inclusion of nuclear energy in Europe and Canada’s energy and environmental policies, including sustainable finance (taxonomy);
- support for innovation in nuclear energy, specifically the development and deployment of small modular reactors and advanced reactors;
- identifying and implementing initiatives where Foratom and CNA could work together to promote nuclear as a clean energy source to meet climate change goals, reduce emissions and improve the quality of life.
Canada operates 19 nuclear power reactors, which produce 15% of its total electricity and avoids 80 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year by displacing fossil fuels. Nuclear power generates around 26% of the European Union’s electricity in 13 countries with 107 reactors that provide 50% of low carbon electricity.
