While China is already working on thorium reactors, traditional nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance in Europe. More and more countries are realising that wind and solar power cannot guarantee a stable electricity grid – and are expanding their nuclear capacity.
Thanks to public climate mania and the zero emission fantasies of most European political parties, the fight against gas and coal power plants has been going on for years. After the Fukushima accident, when war was declared on nuclear power, politicians focused mainly on wind and solar power generation as part of the so-called ‘energy revolution’. The result was grid instability, a growing risk of blackouts and barely manageable market conditions, with expensive back-up capacity for dark breaks.
The @EU_Commission‘s latest report highlights nuclear energy as essential for a stable, low-carbon future. It’s calling for €241B in investment by 2050. It’s more than just powering the grid; it’s a driver of economic growth. The future is bright & nuclear is at the forefront. pic.twitter.com/lg2dauYGic
– Princy Mthombeni (@Princymthombeni) June 19, 2025
To meet the Green and globalist emission reduction targets, a U-turn is now being made, at least on nuclear power . Large conventional reactors alone, currently planned by almost half of the EU countries, are estimated to cost more than €240 billion by 2050. Other projects such as small modular reactors (SMRs), advanced modular reactors (AMRs), microreactors or nuclear fusion projects are not included in these figures.
While Europe clings to old technology, the Chinese focus on innovation. In addition to the fourth generation pebble bed reactor based on German technology (which cannot cause meltdowns), the Middle East is also focusing on thorium reactors (based on US technology). Europeans could also mine enough thorium themselves in Scandinavia and Greenland and take a step towards real energy independence. The uranium used in conventional nuclear power plants must be imported.
All in all, European energy policy ultimately proved to be a disastrous failure. Extensive investment in wind and solar energy was supposed to reduce dependence on Russian gas, but it made the continent dependent on supplies from China. The new focus on conventional nuclear power plants may stabilise the electricity grid itself by reducing the role of weather-dependent plants, but there is also a high dependence on imports.
