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The Greek government announced this week that it had set up a committee to examine the potential role of nuclear energy in the country’s future energy mix. 

The decision, which was published in the Government Gazette this week, is described as a first institutional step toward exploring the technology.

The committee will be chaired by Deputy Environment and Energy Minister Nikos Tsafos, and will focus, among other issues, on strengthening public dialogue and understanding of nuclear technology. Representatives from relevant ministries, including the Ministries of National Defense and Foreign Affairs, will also be participating in the committee.

Tsafos described the move as “a very important milestone and first institutional step on a path that could lead to the utilization of nuclear energy in Greece”.

The committee will assess the feasibility of incorporating nuclear energy into Greece’s national energy mix as well as the technical, economic, regulatory and institutional requirements for any potential future program. A technical team will undertake the scientific assessment with an initial evaluation expected to take between 12 and 18 months.

According to Tsafos, one of the committee’s key objectives will be to improve public understanding of nuclear energy and ensure that the debate is based on data and international experience rather than “prejudices and half-truths”.

The committee will examine a range of questions, including whether nuclear technology is compatible with Greece’s energy policy and under what conditions it could help reduce costs for consumers. It will also assess potential benefits such as enhanced energy security as well as how a nuclear program could be organized and financed. Other issues to be examined include the risks associated with nuclear energy and how they could be managed, institutional and regulatory requirements, legal gaps, a realistic implementation timetable and the milestones that would be required along the way.

“There are many questions and a lot of work involved,” Tsafos said, adding that Greece was taking the first step as part of ongoing efforts to examine all technological solutions that could benefit the country.