French president says nuclear energy key to 'independence, energy sovereignty'

ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated Tuesday the significance of nuclear energy for "independence and energy sovereignty," while calling for further cooperation and investment.

"Nuclear energy is key to reconciling independence and energy sovereignty, decarbonization and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and competitiveness, which enables job creation in our economies," Macron said during his speech at the Nuclear Energy Summit held in Paris.

He stressed the need for competitiveness, "and therefore energy produced as cheaply as possible," while also addressing the planet’s problems by reducing emissions through the production of nuclear energy.

"We want greater independence, and we see in the geopolitical context we face how, when we are too dependent on hydrocarbons, this can become a tool of pressure or even destabilization," Macron added.

He further stressed that standardization among countries is "essential" to gain competitiveness in the sector.

"We cannot be profitable and competitive if we create a new prototype each time," he said. "Therefore, we must standardize—standardize between our countries and standardize across different manufacturers as much as possible—to establish capacity standards."

Reaffirming that nuclear energy has been "better integrated" into European legislation and strategies, Macron called on the bloc to "go even one step further."

He called for large-scale projects, pooled resources, collective financing, and interconnections, while reiterating the need for a "major project of common European interest.”

Macron further urged public and private stakeholders "to play their part in continuing to mobilize investment" for the development of civil nuclear power.

"We must cooperate at the international level to make progress on this point in order to diversify our supply. This is absolutely key to securing our uranium supply and reducing our dependence on geopolitical shocks. We must also continue to invest and innovate to achieve further enrichment," he said.