French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the construction of up to 14 new nuclear reactors. By 2050, six new-generation reactors are to be built, said Macron in Belfort in eastern France. The construction of eight more should be examined. The new piles are to be built and operated by the state utility EDF and funded with billions of euros in public funds.
This means a "renaissance of nuclear power" in France, said the President. Nuclear energy is at the heart of French climate protection policy, Macron continued.
50 offshore wind farms planned
In addition, 50 wind farms are to be built off the French coast by 2050. The capacity of onshore wind turbines should be doubled, Macron said. In order to double the generation of electricity from renewable energies by 2030, the power generated by solar energy should also be increased “almost tenfold”.
Nuclear power plants should run longer than planned
At the same time, the service life of all existing power plants will be extended if safety permits. No power plant should go off the grid if there are no compelling safety reasons for doing so. The power company EDF has been instructed to check whether the term of the nuclear power plants can be extended beyond 50 years.
"We are fortunate that in France we can count on a strong nuclear industry, rich in expertise and with hundreds of thousands of jobs," said Macron. Nuclear power is at the heart of French climate policy. However, the first reactor of the new EPR generation will not go online until 2035.
France has so far only hesitantly pushed ahead with the expansion of renewable energies. In 2020, it was the only EU country with 19 percent renewable energy, falling short of its self-imposed target of 23 percent. Although France has miles of coastline on the English Channel, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, there is still no functioning offshore wind farm.
In contrast to Germany, France is fully committed to nuclear power when it comes to climate protection. According to plans by the EU Commission, nuclear energy is to be classified as "green", also under pressure from France.
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