French President Emmanuel Macron announced the government would support the
construction of six new nuclear reactors across the country. The first
nuclear reactor will be operational by 2035, according to Macron.
"We must continue the great adventure of civilian nuclear power in France,"
Macron told the media during a visit to the eastern city of Belfort, home to
France-based General Electric's turbine unit.
He also announced research to assess feasibility for a further eight nuclear
reactors.
"Given the need for electricity, the need to anticipate transitions, the end
of the existing fleet, today we will launch a new nuclear reactor program,"
Macron said.
The six new units will be the EPR, originally known as the European
Pressurized Water Reactor, which has been designed and developed by French
company Framatome and its parent Electricite de France (EDF).
This technology is also used at the Hinkley Point power plant in the UK and
in Taishan, China.
"The new EPR reactor will be equipped with a small modular reactor (SMR)
with the goal of producing 25 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity by 2050,"
Macron said. The president added that he had made two more major decisions.
He has asked EDF to study the conditions to extend the reactor's life by
more than 50 years.
Macron wants future reactors to be used forever, and only shut down for
safety reasons.
France has strongly supported the development of its nuclear industry over
the past four decades, but neighboring Germany has been phased out of
nuclear power, with environmental and safety considerations at its heart.