Series of workshops to boost transatlantic cooperation in nuclear energy

A US agency is expanding its nuclear influence in Europe and Eurasia. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) plans to continue its expert workshops and meetings over the next two years to support transatlantic cooperation in nuclear energy. This is certainly not the first link-up between the US and European public and private energy sectors. Recently, we have seen a series of workshops supporting small modular reactor (SMR) technology, which also had a Czech connection.

USTDA, established in 1980, helps US companies create opportunities in foreign markets by connecting the supply of US services and goods with infrastructure projects in partner countries. Its main role is to fund studies and pilot projects in critical early stages. The agency’s aim is then to incorporate private-sector US innovations into suitable projects.

The benefits of such agencies’ efforts to extend US influence in Europe are demonstrated by companies’ participation in a range of projects. In Poland and Romania, the agency played an important role in the subsequent selection of US technology for modernising the countries’ nuclear energy sectors. USTDA is funding four new seminars now in preparation, which will aim to replicate these successes.

USTDA Director Enoh T. Ebong announced the funding commitment for these seminars at the inaugural Nuclear Energy Summit (NES) in Brussels. The first workshop will be held on US home soil, in Tennessee. As already outlined, its aim will be to connect the civil nuclear energy sectors of the two continents.

As for the Czech connection, the Czech presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022 played a fairly important role in organising previous workshops. The Czech presidency moderated discussions on the construction and safe operation of new nuclear power plants using the best available technologies. The agency also listed it as a supporting organisation on its website.

One specific example was the participation of a representative of the Nuclear Research Institute Řež in a prestigious panel discussion held in Brussels on 7 and 8 December of that year. The discussion was part of a seminar entitled “USTDA Planning for the Future: Transatlantic Cooperation in SMRs Workshop”. Petr Mach, director of the Energoprojekt Praha division, discussed experience with SMR planning from a Czech perspective and the Řež institute’s achievements to date.

ÚJV Řež said on LinkedIn: “The workshop was attended by senior civil nuclear energy leaders from the US, European and Eurasian public and private sectors, focusing on the development, financing and deployment of SMRs.”

It has not yet been confirmed whether there will be a Czech connection at the upcoming meetings. However, given that the Czech government excluded US company Westinghouse from the tender to complete the Dukovany nuclear power plant earlier this year, a shift in focus to another area may be expected.