This article is a contribution to the NNWI Conference 2026: Powering Industrial Decarbonisation.
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Europe’s energy‑intensive industries face a dual challenge: delivering deep emissions reductions while remaining globally competitive. Sectors such as chemicals, steel and cement rely on large volumes of reliable electricity and heat, available at predictable and affordable cost. In this context, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are increasingly seen not as a distant solution, but as a serious candidate to support industrial transition while safeguarding competitiveness.
This is the rationale behind the European Industrial Alliance on Small Modular Reactors, which brings together technology vendors, utilities, industrial end‑users, regulators and policymakers. The Alliance’s objective is straightforward: accelerate the development and future deployment of SMRs in Europe, with a particular focus on non‑electric and industrial applications. Within this structure, the Technical Working Group on Industrial Applications, which I have the privilege to chair, provides a dedicated forum for end‑users to express their needs, constraints and expectations.
A central feature of the TWG’s work is the deliberate shift from a technology‑centric to an end‑user‑centric perspective. Discussions begin with industrial realities: continuous processes, high‑temperature heat requirements, space and safety integration on industrial sites, licensing complexity, and bankability. Recent work has explored concrete use cases such as process heat, combined heat and power, hydrogen production and integration within industrial clusters.
Looking ahead, the priority is to convert these use cases into projects that can be built by identifying suitable locations, clarifying regulatory requirements and putting in place business models and financing conditions that give industrial investors clarity.
From the chemical industry’s perspective, several strategic dimensions stand out. First, on‑site or near‑site energy generation can be transformational. SMRs have the potential to reduce dependence on increasingly constrained grids, limit exposure to volatile wholesale electricity markets and provide long‑term price and supply certainty: key preconditions for capital‑intensive investments in globally exposed sectors.
Second, SMRs can fundamentally change how large industrial sites interact with the energy system. Many industrial facilities already operate significant backup or self‑generation capacity to guarantee operational continuity. With the right regulatory and market frameworks, this capacity could support system flexibility, balance and resilience. Industrial sites could evolve from being perceived as inflexible baseload consumers to becoming active contributors to network stability.
Realising this potential requires close cooperation across the value chain. The nuclear sector has a strong tradition of long‑term partnerships, but industrial transformation will only succeed if energy suppliers and energy users are fully aligned from the outset. SMRs offer a unique opportunity to strengthen that partnership and place end‑users at the centre of Europe’s energy transition.
