Nuclear modelling encompasses a broad range of scales, from atomic interactions to entire power plants and energy systems, integrating both physics and system-level models. These models are interconnected through data, which serve as a validation for models on one scale and input for models on another.The JRC works with a diverse array of models to ensure the successful and safe deployment of nuclear energy. At the physics scale, the primary focus is on ensuring the safety of nuclear operations. In contrast, system-scale models focus on designing, supporting and evaluating European policies at the intersection of energy, environment, and economy. Despite differences in underlying models and purposes, the tasks across all domains are consistent with JRC’s mission. This includes ensuring the availability of models and reliable data to European stakeholders, maintaining transparency regarding assumptions and implementations, and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the reliability of applied models and data. The JRC's modelling hub aim to create a central platform that combines all these components, providing decision-makers with a comprehensive overview of technological, economic, ecological, and societal implications of nuclear energy.To learn more about our comprehensive approach, explore our key activities below. Benefits Enabling informed decision-making in the nuclear energy domain.Providing support for climate mitigation strategies, energy security and societal costs.Offering an integrated approach to addressing the technological, economic, ecological and societal implications.Identifying the necessary skills and competencies for effective transition management. Key activities Explore the key activities of the JRC Modelling Hub. Key activities Key activities Energy Systems POTEnCIA modelThe POTEnCIA model simulates the EU energy system, providing detailed historical and projected pathways for energy supply and demand across various sectors. POTEnCIA represents each EU Member State individually, allowing for a nuanced understanding of energy trends and patterns at the national level, as well as the possibility to analyse the entire EU energy system as a whole. JRC POLES modelThe POLES model used for global energy systems analysis, helping to understand and predict energy trends worldwide, covering the entire energy balance, from final energy demand, transformation and power production to primary supply and trade of energy commodities.Other Modelling Platforms: The JRC uses models and tools including PLEXOS, PyPSA, METIS, and MATPOWER to perform electricity market modelling. These allow, for example to compare the effectiveness of regional and nodal marginal pricing schemes and conduct resource adequacy studies to assess the sufficiency of energy resources to meet demand. JRC-IDEES databaseJRC-IDEES is a comprehensive collection of data enabling detailed analysis of the European energy system's dynamics. This allows for a deeper understanding of historical trends and provides a solid foundation for informing future policy decisions.Energy and Industry Geography lab (EIGL)The EIGL is a tool to map energy, industrial, and other infrastructure needed for the energy transition. The Energy and Industry Geography Lab is a specialised geospatial data management, visualisation and analysis hub that provides spatial insights for Europe’s transition to climate neutrality. Safety of nuclear installations JRC is working with partners on models, codes and data to maintain the high safety standard of reactors, facilitate their long-term operation and the deployment of new concepts. In addition, JRC works on continuous improvements of safeguard methodologies. Transuranus fuel performance codeDeveloped over the last decades at JRC Karlsruhe, Transuranus it is a comprehensive tool for analysing the thermal, mechanical, and neutron-physical behaviour of cylindrical fuel rods in nuclear reactors. The code combines interacting phenomena and accounts for changing thermal, mechanical, and isotopic properties of nuclear fuel during operation or storage.DAPHNE methodologyDAPHNE provides a fast and accurate diagnosis and radiological consequence assessment in case of a nuclear accident, enabling the justification of emergency protective measures. The methodology consists of two parts: an onsite part that evaluates the source term using tools like ASTEC and MAAP, and an off-site part that models the source term dispersion using the HYSPLIT tool.Neutron data contributionsThe data is collected from measurements at its two accelerators facilities and is used by European Union member state organisations, international partners, and organisations such as the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The JRC makes significant contributions to the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion (JEFF) project, a project that provides a comprehensive database of evaluated nuclear data, de-facto standards to end-users for routine applications in various areas of science and technology. MatDB online materials databaseThe JRC's experience in measurements gave rise to the online materials database MatDB, which hosts, among others, the IAEA surveillance databases for pressure vessel steels, and the STRESA information system. The STRESA is a repository for thermal hydraulic experimental data, including severe accident and pure thermal hydraulics data used in nuclear power reactor safety analyses. These datasets are relevant for validation of codes and models, and also serve for preserving data, accessible for future research. Economic Modelling GEM-E3 ModelGEM-E3 evaluates the distributional and macro-economic effects of various climate policy instruments, helping policymakers understand the economic implications of their decisions. The model is calibrated to the latest Global Trading Accounts Project (GTAP) database, representing 27 European Member States, OECD, and G20 countries, with 30-35 sectors, including detailed power generation technologies and energy-intensive sectors.RHOMOLO ModelRhomolo analyses the economic impact of policies and investments across different regions in the EU, supporting regional development and policy-making. The model can be applied to a wide range of policy areas, including research and development, innovation, and regional development and is used to evaluate the economic implications of different scenarios and investments. Skills Development The JRC drives progress in nuclear modelling by combining its expertise and experimental capabilities with collaborative efforts among research communities. Training and Education The JRC offer training and education opportunities to promote skills and quality jobs in the nuclear sector. Stakeholder EngagementThe JRC also engages with stakeholders to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing. Social Sciences SOCRATES Software ToolSocrates tool implements Social Multicriteria Evaluation (SMCE) for ex-ante Impact Assessment (IA) problems, allowing comprehensive policy evaluation. Developed by the JRC, it allows for the consideration of multiple criteria and diverse data types, including both quantitative and qualitative information. This enables policy-makers to evaluate and compare policy options in a comprehensive and systematic way, taking into account a wide range of factors relevant to the decision-making process. Future prospects The modelling hub will leverage JRC's expertise to foster collaboration in the nuclear energy sector, supporting the transition towards a sustainable and secure energy future by ensuring access to European modelling codes and generating robust experimental data for future modelling and R&D. Publication 16 MAY 2025JRC Modelling Hub Contact Us For more information about the Modelling Hub: EmailJRC-Modelling-Hubec [dot] europa [dot] eu
Nuclear modelling encompasses a broad range of scales, from atomic interactions to entire power plants and energy systems, integrating both physics and system-level models. These models are interconnected through data, which serve as a validation for models on one scale and input for models on another.The JRC works with a diverse array of models to ensure the successful and safe deployment of nuclear energy. At the physics scale, the primary focus is on ensuring the safety of nuclear operations. In contrast, system-scale models focus on designing, supporting and evaluating European policies at the intersection of energy, environment, and economy. Despite differences in underlying models and purposes, the tasks across all domains are consistent with JRC’s mission. This includes ensuring the availability of models and reliable data to European stakeholders, maintaining transparency regarding assumptions and implementations, and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the reliability of applied models and data. The JRC's modelling hub aim to create a central platform that combines all these components, providing decision-makers with a comprehensive overview of technological, economic, ecological, and societal implications of nuclear energy.To learn more about our comprehensive approach, explore our key activities below.
