nucleareurope, Danish Industry co-organise event on industrial decarbonisation
On 20 November 2025, nucleareurope and Danish Industry co-organised an event in Brussels to explore pathways to power European industry with decarbonised energy. The event, held under the Danish presidency of the European Union, brought together Danish and European policymakers, industry and think tank representatives as well as investors to discuss industrial decarbonisation, electrification and the role of nuclear.
The event was opened by nucleareurope Legal and International Relations Director Berta Picamal, before nucleareurope Director General Emmanuel Brutin gave an overview of the role of nuclear in the energy system in his opening remarks.
“Nuclear today represents close to a quarter of EU electricity production, and has a key role to play in industrial decarbonisation by providing a stable supply of dispatchable electricity, generating heat, and supporting the production of low-carbon hydrogen” stressed Emmanuel, adding that installed nuclear capacity is set to grow from around 100 gigawatts (GW) today to close to 150GW by 2050.
Following Emmanuel’s intervention, Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities’ Deputy Head of Department Susanne Bo Christensen gave a keynote address to discuss Denmark’s position on nuclear energy. She noted that all clean energy sources will be needed to reach net-zero by 2050, and that event though Denmark’s position on nuclear has in the past been rather negative, public support for nuclear is now strong in Denmark, and the country is moving to a more open approach.
The keynote interventions were followed by a panel discussion on the topic of electrification and industrial competitiveness. The discussion was introduced by a presentation from Tom Howes, Advisor for Green Transition and Market Regulation at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Energy, who detailed the key policy files which will shape industrial decarbonisation in Europe, and specifically addressed the topics of electrification and energy affordability.
Alongside Tom Howes, the panel gathered Member of the European Parliament Henrik Dahl, Agora Energiewende’s Co-Director for Europe Emeline Spire, and 92 Capital’s Communications Manager Johan Christian Sollid. It allowed to explore political, financial and social drivers of industrial decarbonisation, with all panellists highlighting the importance of diversifying net-zero energy sources, ensuring energy affordability and derisking investments.
Concluding the event, Danish industry’s Leading Senior Advisor on Energy Policy Henrik Skou summed up the discussions and insisted on the need to explore all viable low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear, to support industrial decarbonisation. He further noted the shift in public perception of nuclear in Denmark as a sign that more and more, nuclear is seen as essential for decarbonisation.