Critical Geopolitics of Nuclear Fuel Supply in Europe

Introduction

How do countries build their nuclear fuels supply policies? The ongoing political renaissance of nuclear power through the world raises concerns about European Union states’ ability to fill their needs. Despite efforts to build a common strategy, EU members follow diverging paths to secure their supplies.

Challenges in Energy Security Studies

However, energy security studies are so far unable to explain this heterogeneity, creating misunderstandings between countries and ill-informing energy policies.

1. Lack of Empirical Works: First, we lack any empirically informed works on the geopolitics of nuclear power.
2. Theoretical Frameworks: Second, all theoretical frameworks studying supply security were built over hydrocarbons. But if we want to decarbonize our societies, we will first have to decolonize these tools from the grip of fossil fuels.
3. Limited Engagement with Political Geography: Third, while critical security studies have called for more space-sensitive approaches, engagement with political geography theories remains limited.

Project Overview

GeoNuFE aims at filling these gaps by questioning the variables behind the spatial heterogeneity of nuclear fuel supply strategies. To do so, I develop an innovative analytical framework bridging “critical security studies” and “critical geopolitics” through their ongoing turn to new materialist approaches and assemblage.

Comparative Analysis

GeoNuFE will compare four countries: France, Finland, the UK, and Hungary, following three steps:

1. I’ll confront the current fossil-fuel informed theories to actors of the nuclear sector to build the first-ever analytical framework of “objective supply security” adapted to it, and apply it to the four countries.
2. I’ll identify the influence of EU membership by digging into how the Euratom Supply Agency, which is responsible for allowing supply contracts to member states, produces and performs “security”.
3. I will trace and compare the geopolitical assemblage which explains the supply strategies in each country.

Expected Outcomes

Expected results will provide essential knowledge of the geopolitical dimensions of energy transitions to better inform EU energy policies.