French President Emmanuel Macron’s Bold Move to Expand Nuclear Energy in France, Despite Financial and Waste Disposal Challenges

In 2012, during his campaign, François Hollande had promised to reduce the share of nuclear power in electricity production to 50%. However, he was unable to fulfill this promise while he was president. This culminated in the closure of the Fessenheim power plant in Haut-Rhin in 2020. Now, President Emmanuel Macron has shifted course completely and is planning to build six new reactors, EPR 2, a simplified version of the current Flamanville EPR.

The French government has announced plans to build three pairs of EPR 2 reactors on existing sites: first in Penly by 2035, then in Gravelines and Bugey in the following decade. Despite these ambitious plans, there are financial challenges on the horizon. The initial estimates put the cost of the program at 51.7 billion euros, but this has already been revised upwards to 67.4 billion euros. President Macron remains undeterred and has plans in the longer term to construct eight more EPR 2 reactors.

However, financing this program remains a major obstacle. It is likely that EDF will require state aid to proceed with these plans. Additionally, challenges related to waste disposal and dismantling older power plants must be addressed before new reactors can be built. Despite these challenges, President Macron remains determined to push forward with his plans for expanding nuclear energy in France.