There are activities that contribute to mitigating the effects of the current energy crisis, and Greece is playing a leading role in this. Activity develops in an area where the great comparative advantage of the Greek demon of business always manifests itself, namely at sea.

I mean the deployment of floating facilities to ensure the gas supply to Europe. In particular, in our country, the station for receiving, storing and degassing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Revitus, this important element of the energy infrastructure, which I had the good fortune to help double its capacity, is now supported by floating storage facilities (FSU). ) – floating storage). At the same time, liquefied natural gas storage and ventilation vessels (FSRUs – Floating Storage and Regasification Units) are being installed in Alexandroupolis and possibly elsewhere. Floating aids are used because they are more flexible and become available in less time than it takes to build land-based facilities.

The main goal of the European and our own energy strategy is to move towards a system dominated by inexhaustible sources of energy known as renewable energy. Natural gas is the primary source that goes to meet the needs of electricity generation when renewable energy sources are not available, that is, when there is neither sun nor wind. Thus, it is an extremely important source today, but whose usefulness has an expiration date. With the development of energy storage systems, with the creation of strong and “smart” electrical interconnections, and with the production of environmentally friendly synthetic fuels, the percentage of total energy needs that will be provided by renewable energy will constantly increase and will reach them. almost. Thus, the use of natural gas, which, let’s not forget, is always a source of greenhouse gas emissions, must stop sooner or later.

I emphasize the word “almost” because it is also almost certain that clean sources, with their stochastic nature, will never be able to meet 100% of the world’s energy needs. Thus, the use of primary energy sources that are constantly available and do not emit greenhouse gases is considered necessary in the long term.

At present, the only available source with these characteristics is nuclear energy, and many countries are opting for energy produced by nuclear reactors as a complement to RES. Thus, the use of nuclear energy is steadily growing, in different countries, including, as you know, in neighboring Turkey, about 55 reactors are being built.

While this is happening elsewhere, what is happening in Greece? Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with characteristic frankness, declares that he is “convinced that we as a whole, as the European Union, cannot achieve our climate goals without nuclear power”, but at the same time declares that “Greece will never acquire nuclear power and the fact that this position “resonates with the vast majority of Greek society” is cited as the main reason.

The Prime Minister’s assessment of the negative attitude of the majority of Greek society towards nuclear reactors is accurate, and his desire not to displease them is politically understandable. But is it right to exclude from the Greek energy balance the source that so many others turn to? Shouldn’t we at least take a serious look at this? Does it make sense to define a country’s energy future as an obsession?

Since we don’t need a nuclear plant on Greek soil, can we turn to a floating nuclear power plant?

In search of getting rid of the obsession, I thought of France, a country where nuclear power is the main source of energy. Earlier I asked competent Frenchmen how they managed to persuade the French to accept this otherwise controversial industrial activity. And they explained to me: “We recruited French nationalism. We reminded people that atomic energy is the result of our own science, the discoveries of Marie and Pierre Curie.”

So can we do something similar? Since we do not want a nuclear power plant on Greek soil, can we enlist our familiarity with the sea, a space that always fills us with national pride, and turn to a floating nuclear power plant?

Floating nuclear reactors are not a new idea. Interest from the US Navy began as early as the 1960s, and a power reactor was installed on the decommissioned battleship Liberty. There was no technology development then, mainly for economic reasons, but now Russia is entering the field, and the Lomonosov barge is already operating as the first Russian floating nuclear power plant. Further China, with a sister program of Chinese sizes as always.

If Greek shipowners are interested, competition will not stop them. They already own the most expensive fleet of LNG carriers, and some Greek shipowners have aggressively entered the FSU and FSRU floating unit market. So can floating nuclear reactors be added to their business interests? One of the Greek shipyards could turn into a space not only for construction, but also a center for research and application of floating nuclear technologies.

And Greece will acquire not only business, but also technological superiority in this area.

* Mr. Rafael Moussi was President of the National Energy Strategy Board.