Nov 10, 2021 14:00:00

French President announces 'building a new reactor', up to 6 new reactors expected

by

Jacques Paquier

As climate change countermeasures around the world attract attention at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) , French President Emmanuel Macron announced on November 9, 2021 that greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Announced a policy to promote nuclear power generation as an initiative to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

France to build new nuclear reactors to meet climate goals
https://apnews.com/article/climate-business-europe-emmanuel-macron-environment-and-nature-541530ed81a84ef90860c9970f0a5517

Macron says France will build new nuclear energy reactors | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/macron-says-france-will-build-more-nuclear-energy-reactors-2021-11-09/

France is a country that is highly dependent on nuclear energy, but the problem of aging has been pointed out for domestic nuclear reactors. In addition, at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Station in northwestern France, the development project for a new nuclear power plant, which was initially aimed at starting operation in 2012, has been significantly delayed, which has become a major issue for France's energy policy.

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron, who was five months ahead of the French presidential election, said in a television speech on November 9 that he would 'guarantee France's energy independence and secure power supply by 2050. In order to achieve the goal of achieving carbon neutrality, we will resume the construction of domestic nuclear power plants for the first time in decades and continue the development of renewable energy. ' Was shown.

President Macron has previously pledged to reduce the ratio of nuclear power to France's energy mix from 75% to 50% by 2035. French energy officials have also announced that they will forgo plans to build a new European Pressurized Water Reactor until the reactor under construction at the Flamanville Nuclear Power Station is completed.

According to the French media, the background of this change of direction in France is that the gas crisis in Europe is raising energy prices and the impact of power consumption on households has spread to society as a whole. There are concerns about what to do.

The issue of global natural gas shortages, especially in the EU, is summarized in the following articles.

Pointed out that there is a global shortage of natural gas --GIGAZINE

President Macron has not given a concrete picture of the reactor expansion plan, but Reuters said, 'The Macron administration will announce plans to build up to six new European pressurized water reactors in the coming weeks.' I reported.