France wants to ‘slowly but surely’ build more new nuclear power stations than planned: large parts of the American east coast are sinking

France wants to build eight more nuclear power plants in the coming years, in addition to the six nuclear power plants already planned. That is much more than previously planned.

The eight additional nuclear power plants have so far been discussed by the government as an “option”, Energy Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher told the newspaper ‘Tribune Dimanche’ on Sunday. In total, the construction of 14 reactors is under discussion.

Unlike neighboring Germany, France relies heavily on nuclear energy to replace coal-fired power stations and reduce CO2 emissions. France wants to reduce the share of fossil fuels in energy consumption from over 60 percent now to 40 percent in 2035.

According to the Minister of Energy, this goal requires the construction of additional power plants with a capacity of 13 gigawatts from 2026. This corresponds to “the production of eight” EPR reactors, Pannier-Runacher explained, arguing: “The historic nuclear fleet will not last forever.”

New reactor model must offer more safety

The EPR reactor model developed by France was intended to revive nuclear energy after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and provide more energy with greater safety. There are three reactors in operation: one in Finland and two in China. However, there were not only problems with construction in Finland; there were also delays and cost explosions on EPR projects in France and Britain.

According to French state energy company EDF, the first EPR reactor in France will come online for testing purposes in Flamanville, Normandy, in mid-2024 – 17 years after construction began and at a cost of 12.7 billion euros, four times as much as originally planned.

Under the planned reform of the European electricity market, state subsidies for nuclear power plants in the EU will continue to be allowed. (sda/afp)