Building on the report on “From partnership to leadership: energising EU-Korea cooperation on the road to net zero”, supported by the Korean Foundation, CEPS goes deeper into this dialogue through a project on nuclear energy. This project responds to the renewed global momentum of nuclear energy, driven by rising energy demand, accelerated electrification of end-use sectors, and rapid growth in data and AI. Nuclear energy is also increasingly viewed as a crucial component in achieving deep decarbonisation of energy systems and industries. In both the Republic of Korea (hereinafter, Korea) and Europe, however, relations with nuclear energy have been anything but straightforward in recent years, marked by sharp policy U-turns. CEPS sees the need for a balanced, evidence-based discussion on nuclear’s role in the energy transition, and the policy and political choices shaping its future and cooperation opportunities between the nations.
The project will strengthen CEPS’ Korea and energy workstreams in three ways, ensuring impact beyond KF support. First, it will bring comparative insights from Korea into CEPS’ longstanding research on electricity markets, particularly regarding market design, low-carbon generation, and implications for system costs. Second, it will broaden CEPS’ analysis of the nuclear industry by examining Korean technology vendors and EPC suppliers active in Europe, linking this discussion to wider debates on economic security and technological sovereignty, including in the context of the EU’s growing cleavages with the USA. Finally, it will enhance the introduction of Korean perspectives into the Brussels policy community, using nuclear energy as a building block for EU–Korea dialogue and ensuring continued relevance beyond the project’s completion.
