Nuclear power: a stopgap, a strategy or a liability?

INVITATION - LECTURE - DEBATE

Nuclear power: a stopgap, a strategy or a liability?

Wednesday 7 May

12:30 – 14:00

Auditorium FERRER (S.H2215)

Speaker: Matteo Zanetti, new chairholder of Nuclear Reactor Physics & Safety

In a context marked by geopolitical instability and the urgency of a carbon-free energy transition, nuclear fission technology is once again in the spotlight. Across Europe, alliances are forming around promising Small Modular Reactor (SMR) concepts, and major corporations are reinvesting in nuclear power to meet rising energy demands.

In Belgium, the discussion goes beyond abstract policy. The potential extension of Doel 4 and Tihange 3, and the possibility of new reactors, bring nuclear energy directly into the public debate.

Is nuclear energy a necessary bridge, a long-term solution, or a dangerous diversion?

After a brief historical overview, Matteo Zanetti will outline key factors—sustainability, safety, and economics—that should guide this complex societal choice. The lecture will be followed by a debate on nuclear energy in Belgium.

Lecture in English - Debate in English and French - open to all

Organized by the Physics-Engineering Curriculum of the École Polytechnique de Bruxelles (ULB).