EU Sets Strategy to Deploy Small Modular Nuclear Reactors by Early 2030s

The EU plans regulatory changes, investment guarantees and cross-border cooperation to accelerate the deployment of small modular nuclear reactors.Dukovany Nuclear Power Station is pictured in Dukovany, Czech Republic, on May 2, 2025. Michal Cizek/AFP via Getty Images3/10/2026|Updated: 3/10/2026European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced on March 10 that the European Union will pursue a new strategy to deploy small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) across the bloc by the early 2030s, part of a broader push to reduce energy costs and strengthen energy independence.SMRs are smaller nuclear reactors that can produce up to 300 megawatts of electricity—about one-third the power of traditional reactors—while generating low-carbon energy.