Emmanuel Macron confirms his choice in favor of nuclear power five months before the presidential election – archyde

The main presidential candidates had already spoken out for or against the construction of new reactors. Five months before the election, Emmanuel Macron – who has not yet declared himself – in turn formalized his position in favor of relaunching the nuclear program. The head of state announced, Tuesday, November 9, his decision to “Relaunch the construction of reactors in our country” while continuing to “Develop renewable energies”. The project aims to “Guarantee the energy independence of France (…), the electricity supply of our country and achieve our objectives, in particular carbon neutrality in 2050 ”, he argued, during a televised address on the general situation of the country.

The announcement remains vague, however: no date has been given for the start of work, and the number of reactors envisaged has not been specified. Since 2019, however, the government has been considering a specific hypothesis: the construction of six new third generation reactors of very high power, known as “EPR 2”. The energy company EDF submitted a report to this effect in May, at the request of the State, its main shareholder.

The launch of a new nuclear program would be a first for France ” for decades “, stressed Emmanuel Macron. Most of the current reactors were built at high speed, from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. The country now has fifty-six, which already guarantee low-carbon electricity production. But this park is aging, with many facilities approaching or reaching the age of 40. Within twenty years, a majority of them should have ceased to function for reasons of obsolescence and safety.

Supporters of the atom reassured

In order to replace this electricity production capacity, France is therefore faced with a choice: to build new reactors or to rely entirely on renewable energies. “The president has set a clear course to meet our climate commitments and ensure our energy sovereignty, greeted Tuesday evening the Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, who is known for her opposition to nuclear power. It is based on a triptych – energy savings, massive development of renewables and maintenance of nuclear capacity. ” Until now, the executive had always assured that no decision concerning the construction of new reactors would be taken before the commissioning of the EPR reactor at Flamanville (Manche). However, after years of delay and additional costs, it will ultimately not be operational before 2023..

You have 61.34% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.