Energizing The Future: Highlights from Energy Users Summit
Energizing The Future Now
World Nuclear Symposium, began on Wednesday 3 September with two parallel summits on Energy Users and Finance. Both summits brought together the nuclear industry with key stakeholders from other sectors. The day began with the news that Microsoft joined the Association as members – to collaborate closer with industry and to contribute to the Energy Users Working Group.
Highlights from Energy Users Summit
For highlights from the finance summit see here.
Underscoring the growing recognition of nuclear energy as an essential foundation for powering the digital economy and achieving ambitious climate goals, the Energy Users Summit brought together the nuclear sector and energy-intensive industries to explore bold new partnerships. “This is a working summit,” said Sama Bilbao y León. “Collaboration between energy producers and energy users is going to be more important than ever.” “Energy users are getting more and more proactive. They are not waiting for governments to put in place their energy supply. They are actively seeking the ways and means to secure the 24/7 clean energy they need to power their plans and their growth.”
Key moments
“We have finally come to the point where nuclear is considered for what it is – a fossil free, dispatchable baseload production. And we need it.”
Maja Lundbäck, State Secretary to Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, Ebba Busch. Ministry of Climate and Enterprise, Sweden.
While the Honourable Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation, Government of Saskatchewan said: “There is an incredible amount of work going on. Demand growth is driving a lot of the build up around the world and the process that utilities have to go through: development of the workforce, the supply chain, and so on. ”
Energy users’ active involvement is reshaping markets and energizing the nuclear supply chain.
Ben Reinke, Senior Vice President of Global BD and Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, X-energy, said: “Today, the only thing holding nuclear back is capital for projects and the supply chain.”
On maritime applications, Mark Tipping, Global Offshore P2X Director, Lloyds Register, said: “Most people expect small reactors on land before they are at sea. It could be the exact opposite due to the shipping industry’s existing modularity.”
What are the main takeaways from the Summit?
- Nuclear provides unique offerings that energy consumers want, from large reactors, SMRs and microreactors, to provide clean, affordable, reliable energy for a wide range of applications and sectors. Currently 20% global energy use is electricity, according to IEA Net Zero scenario in 2050 still 55% of global energy supply from electricity. Nuclear can help go beyond electricty to transform the entire economy.
- Energy Users demand are driving supply, and are making direct investment in nuclear projects development and deployment. The technology is ready, the business models are evolving as is the mindset of other industries.
- Partnerships and collaboration are key to accelerate scaling of nuclear. We need energy users working with the nuclear industry, regulators and investors.
What next?
World Nuclear Association is here to help the energy users and industry on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Our Energy Users Working Group, acts as the facilitator of conversations and stakeholder engagement across not only the nuclear industry but also, across other sectors, such as the energy end users we have gathered here today.
We thank all our speakers for their insights, and in particular our sponsors for the Energy Users Summit - Fermi America, and our Net Zero Nuclear strategic partners Urenco.
Tomorrow, World Nuclear Symposium 50 will be in full swing following the opening of the Exhibition. The key outcomes from Wednesday’s Energy User Summit will be reflected within the Symposium 50 programme. The nuclear sector is ready to meet the demand from heavy industry and other non-traditional uses to energize development and progress.
