Emmanuel Mignot, 09.09.2025

Global overview: nuclear power worldwide
Ukraine reminded us how important is energy independence
We need cheaper energy
113 nuclear reactors are active in the world
Nuclear energy is producing constantly energy
We don’t know what is demand level in the future, but we see we need energy
everyday more and more
Asia has become the epicentre of global nuclear growth
China has 58 reactors in operation, 23 under construction (largest programme
worldwide)
India has 24 reactors, 6 under construction
Europe: interesting picture:
   Many European countries have future plans to construct nuclear energy
   EU is energy mix
Why we need nuclear energy:
   In EU we have geopolitical tensions
   Climate change and resilience
   Development of renewable energies
   Our opportunities are
   – Low and stable price
   – Targets are easier to get (EU 2050)

Overall goal is reducing CO2
We need to have more local energy fields
In France we have invented nuclear energy for political reasons and independence
We have one of the least carbonized states in the world (France)

France has a comprehensive nuclear industry
Estonia opportunities:
   Energy independence
   Low and predictable price
   Resilience and controlled energy consumptions
   Support sustainable development
   Low-carbon energy
Ukraine is a good example for Estonia
Switzerland has the oldest reactor in the world and they still using it
Nuclear energy makes new jobs
Security of supply

In France we have 2 nuclear powerplants built near the border
If you compare of oil and gas, there are lower risks of dying (we have only one bad
example and that is Chernobyl)
I think Germans are not naive, but they have different cultural and social approach
and that is why they cancelled nuclear energy programme
UK have come back to nuclear energy
In our country we have difficult time
Nuclear safety must take very seriously – a modern nuclear plants can resist to
different natural disasters.
Russia has not destroyed any nuclear plants in Ukraine, because they know there
can be different consequences for them too
Russia has built power plant in Turkey – they operate it and manage it
Nuclear reactor is huge and long investment
If for example Estonia overproduces nuclear energy you can sell it to all Europe