Relaunch of nuclear power: France must go “beyond” six new EPR reactors, announces Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher

La centrale nucléaire de Cruas-Meysse, le long du Rhône, entre Valence et Montélimar, dans la région Rhône-Alpes. Imagebroker – MaxPPP

The government is carrying out a program for six new EPR reactors and eight optional ones. The Minister of Energy Transition detailed to "La Tribune Dimanche" the bill relating to energy sovereignty which will be presented to the Council of Ministers within a few weeks.

A few weeks before the presentation of the bill relating to energy sovereignty in the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher made statements to La Tribune Sunday during an interview.

France will have to go "beyond the first six EPR" announced for the relaunch of nuclear power, she announced to our colleagues.

Eight optional

The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron announced the relaunch of nuclear power during his speech in Belfort in February 2022. Since then, the government has implemented a program for six new EPR reactors and eight as an option. In December 2023, the Head of State had already opened the door to an announcement on these eight additional reactors "in the coming months", underlines France info.

"The historic park will not be forever"

This Sunday, January 7, 2024, Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher makes remarks that go in the same direction: "We need nuclear power beyond the first six EPRs, since the historic park does not will not be eternal. But the wording (of the bill) remains technologically neutral: it involves committing, after 2026, to “additional constructions representing 13 gigawatts”. Which corresponds well to the power of eight EPRs, without setting this or that technology in stone,” she declared to the weekly.

What about fuel recycling ?

Agnès Pannier-Runacher does not rule out going further, beyond these 14 EPRs. She also announced that the issue of nuclear fuel recycling infrastructure would be on the agenda of the next Nuclear Policy Council, scheduled for January.