PARIS: France’s energy minister, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, has announced plans to build eight new nuclear plants, in addition to the six European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) already proposed by President Emmanuel Macron in 2022.
The move is framed as essential to achieving carbon reduction targets. The draft law, expected to be presented soon, recognizes the necessity of nuclear power “beyond the six first EPRs,” according to Pannier-Runacher, who emphasized the need for additional reactors as France aims to reduce fossil fuels’ share of energy use to 40% by 2035.
While France has been at the lower end of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, with approximately 4.7 tonnes per capita in 2020, its reliance on nuclear energy, with 57 reactors dating back to the 1970s, has been a significant contributor to its lower emissions.
France’s Commitment to Nuclear Power
The upcoming bill will extend the commitment to nuclear power by incorporating an additional eight plants that were previously considered as an “option.”
Pannier-Runacher clarified that the draft law would not specify targets for renewable energy generation by 2030, maintaining a “technologically neutral” stance. France’s ambitious carbon reduction goals require a shift from over 60% reliance on fossil fuels to 40% in 2035, necessitating the construction of “further equivalent to 13 gigawatts” of energy from 2026. This aligns with “the power of eight EPR reactors,” without committing to a specific technology.
While the first EPR in France, located in Flamanville, Normandy, is set to undergo testing in mid-2024, it faced construction delays and cost overruns, with a final cost of around €12.7 billion, four times the initial budget.
Pannier-Runacher suggested that discussions with lawmakers might consider constructing more than 14 nuclear reactors.
