Eon’s CEO invites Berlin to stop criticising French nuclear power

During the semi-annual results of the German energy company Eon, the company’s CEO called for greater cooperation between Paris and Berlin on energy, noting that the choices were different but reconcilable. Specifically, he urged Berlin not to impose its anti-nuclear choices on Europe.

“What if Germany stopped lecturing France on nuclear energy?” At least, that is what Leonhard Birnbaum, the head of the powerful German company Eon, suggests. Such was the nature of his remarks during the semi-annual results in early August, as reported by the Financial Times. According to the economic daily newspaper, the CEO of the energy company, who owns one of the three reactors that closed in April 2023, believes that “Berlin should accept differing opinions to break the deadlock with Paris on energy reforms.”

He goes further: “Germany should stop trying to impose its views on nuclear energy on the rest of the European Union.” It should be noted that Germany has taken bold bets on energy transition. While it has gone full throttle on renewables, it has also decided to shut down one of its primary low-carbon electricity sources: nuclear power, which now accounts for zero percent.

Jeopardising its electricity supply and weakening the West European electrical grid, Berlin had to turn to coal and gas, which are significant emitters of greenhouse gases. Today’s choice appears unique as Europe is leaning more towards a revival of nuclear power through its Nuclear Alliance, which plans to increase installed capacity in Europe from 100 GW today to 150 GW by 2050.

Two opposite choices that can be reconciled

Meanwhile, France is opting to extend its nuclear fleet, conditional upon the Nuclear Safety Authority’s (ASN) approval. It is also launching a construction program for 6 to 14 EPR2 reactors while supporting the emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR). These divergent paths have resulted in numerous disagreements between the two countries in Brussels on whether or not to include nuclear power among clean technologies, for instance, through the Taxonomy or the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA).

Leonhard Birnbaum believes that Berlin should accept the differences of opinion while indicating that he sought a compromise with France to break the deadlock on energy reforms. He explains: “The French will not be able to persuade us to use nuclear energy, and we will not be able to convince them not to do so either. That’s why I think we should adopt a different approach to the discussion.” He feels it would be “better for everyone if both countries approached the dispute with the idea that each does its part.”

Finally, the CEO emphasised the interdependence of European countries, saying that “French nuclear energy contributed to the transition to a renewable energy system in Germany.” Knowing that France is a net exporter of electricity to Germany, Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated in the Handelsblatt newspaper: “It is contradictory to massively import French nuclear energy while rejecting all EU legislative texts that recognise the value of nuclear as a low-carbon energy source.” ■