Macro
France speeds up deployment to revive nuclear power
Seetao 2023-05-25 08:40
  • The installed capacity of nuclear power in the EU is expected to increase from the current 100 GW to 150 GW by 2050
  • After years of sluggish investment in the nuclear power industry, France still faces many challenges to revive nuclear power
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Green and clean nuclear energy is the only way for global energy transformation and development. Recently, the French National Assembly passed the "Acceleration of Nuclear Energy Development Act", completing an important legislative work to revive nuclear power. According to this bill, France will cancel the upper limit set in 2015 that the proportion of nuclear power in France will not exceed 50% by 2035, and simplify administrative procedures to promote the construction of new reactors.

France is the largest nuclear power producer in Europe, and nuclear power accounts for about 70% of the country's total electricity generation. In February 2022, French President Macron announced a large-scale revival of the nuclear power program. Six new pressurized water reactors will be built and a feasibility study for another eight nuclear reactors will be launched. Macron also announced that if all nuclear reactors operating for more than 50 years can be extended, they hope to do everything possible to avoid their closure. Despite opposition voices, poll results show that the energy crisis has increased French public support for nuclear power, with 60% of respondents holding a positive view on nuclear power, an increase of 26% from three years ago.

France actively promotes the development of nuclear energy, and recently convened a meeting in Paris with 14 European countries including Belgium and Bulgaria to draw up a roadmap for the development of nuclear energy in Europe. . The press release issued by the French Ministry of Energy Transition stated that this meeting sent a clear signal that nuclear power should be emphasized in the European energy strategy, which is not only to strengthen Europe's energy sovereignty, but also to accelerate decarbonization and achieve climate goals.

Some experts pointed out that after years of sluggish investment in the nuclear power industry, France still faces many challenges in reviving nuclear power. The first is the talent and technology gap. According to a recent report submitted by the French Nuclear Energy Association, new nuclear power plants will increase the industry's workload by a quarter. In the next 10 years, about 100,000 full-time jobs will be created in the French nuclear industry. In 2021, France established the Nuclear Vocational University Alliance to promote talent training in this field. Elena Badia, the president of the alliance, said recently that there are 5,800 institutions in France providing education and training related to the nuclear industry, and the resources are abundant, but the top priority is to increase the attractiveness of the industry.

The development of nuclear power in France is also facing financial difficulties. According to French media reports, the cost of building six new nuclear power plants is expected to be between 50 billion and 60 billion euros. Nuclear power operator EDF has run into deep losses in recent years, with debt reaching a record 64.5 billion euros in 2022. The French government has previously called on the European Investment Bank to finance French nuclear projects in the name of investing in low-carbon technologies, but Ambrose Fayol, the agency's vice-president, said the governing council was deeply divided on these issues. Editor/Xu Shengpeng


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