It’s a tough sell. For Europe’s atomic energy supporters — including France, most vocally — nuclear power is inextricably linked to ending reliance on foreign energy sources. And that reasoning has gained momentum as much of the EU tries to ditch Russian fossil fuels.
“It’s good to talk about sovereignty; it can make sense,” Fragman said. “But cooperation also exists, and it’s not incompatible.”
It might seem an improbable proposal that could imperil Europe’s own security. Trump is bludgeoning the transatlantic relationship and loves bending American firms to his whims. But Westinghouse stresses it’s a private company that is now Canadian-owned — and that nuclear projects function on a time scale that extends beyond politicians.
“The nuclear industry is a long-term industry,” Fragman says. “When you’re doing an industrial project, you have to do them for 10, 15, 20, 30 years.”
Nuclear industries from both sides of the Atlantic should “work together and build a fleet” of nuclear reactors in Europe, which he argues would be cheaper and faster, and would create “an energy infrastructure that is competitive.”
Atomic competition
Fragman, who was born in the Paris suburbs and spent most of his career in the French nuclear industry before taking over Westinghouse in 2019, noted his idea has a historical precedent.