Funded under the Euratom Research and Training Programme, a new Innovation Action called SAVE is a significant step forward in Europe’s efforts towards nuclear fuel diversification, accelerated after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
With the grant agreement signed on 14 June, the project will work with EUR 10 million in EU contribution. Led by the nuclear power company Framatome (France and Germany) and gathering 17 partners from seven EU Member States as well as Ukraine, it will contribute to a swift and secure development and deployment of a European fuel solution for the so-called water-water energetic reactor (VVER). These were originally developed in the Soviet Union and rely on Russian fuel.
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:
“Research and innovation are essential for the strategic autonomy of the EU. Nuclear fuel is a case in point. The Euratom Research and Training Programme is providing crucial support to our industry in the quest for reliable alternative fuel for reactors in EU Member States and Ukraine that until now needed fuel from Russia to operate.”
Through Euratom, the EU has invested EUR 20 million into research on nuclear fuel diversification. SAVE is the second project on this topic after the Westinghouse-led APIS project, which kicked off in July 2023.
In a profoundly changed geopolitical context and in pursuit of its decarbonisation ambitions, the EU has undertaken to accelerate nuclear fuel diversification while ensuring uninterrupted supply for more than 30 VVER nuclear reactors which operate on Russian supplies. These are located in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine. These efforts also aim at safeguarding energy security and independence in both the EU and Ukraine.
More information on the SAVE project will soon be published on CORDIS.
Background
The Euratom Research and Training Programme (2021–2025) pursues nuclear research and training, including the continued improvement of nuclear safety, security of supply, radiation protection and the EU leadership in the development of fusion energy.
Euratom also aims to secure EU’s critical research and skills capacities in the nuclear field, which provide for the safe and secure operation of existing and future nuclear technologies, including in non-power applications such as healthcare. It contributes to increasing the EU’s energy security while ensuring the highest standards of safety. It further strengthens cooperation between EU Member States as well as with Ukrainian research entities and academia.
Working with a budget of EUR 1.38 billion for the five-year period, Euratom complements EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, using the same instruments and rules for participation.
More Information
Euratom Research and Training Programme
Regulation establishing the Euratom Programme 2021-2025
EU Strategic Autonomy and the Future Energy Systems
Euratom Research and Training Work Programme 2023-25
Press contact:
EC Spokesperson for Research, Science and Innovation
