France, with its 18 power stations and 56 reactors, remains the country in the world most dependent on nuclear energy for its electricity production. Overview of French nuclear power and its challenges:
Second park in the world
The French nuclear fleet is the second largest in the world behind that of the United States (93 reactors) with a total of 56 nuclear reactors (or units) with a production power of around 61,000 megawatts (MW). French nuclear power plants in operation, spread over 18 sites, provide around 70% of the total electricity produced in the country. This is by far the highest proportion in the world ahead of Slovakia (53%), Ukraine (51%) and Hungary (48%).
With pressurized water
The French reactors in operation all use so-called second-generation, pressurized water technology and are managed by EDF. After the closure in June 2020 of the Fessenheim power plant (Haut-Rhin) inaugurated in 1977, that of Bugey (Ain) has become the oldest French power plant in operation (commissioned in 1979). Most of the nuclear sites in operation began to operate in the 1980s. This is the case for Tricastin (Drôme), Gravelines (Nord), Flamanville (Manche) or Cattenom (Moselle). The most recent power plants are those of Chooz (Ardennes), which entered service in 2000, and Civaux (Vienne), which started up in 2002.
Lifetime
In France, the authorization of a nuclear installation “is issued without time limit”, according to the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). The latter carries out an in-depth review every 10 years. Current French reactors were, however, designed on the basis of an “assumption” of 40 years of operation. EDF intends to operate most of its nuclear reactors for up to 60 years, on the model of what is done in the United States or Switzerland. In 2022, 11 reactors must undergo maintenance or inspection work, i.e. around 20% of the fleet.
Long and expensive dismantling
The gross cost of dismantling all pressurized water reactors was estimated in 2015 at 75 billion euros by EDF, an amount deemed underestimated by a parliamentary report of February 2017. EDF is already carrying out a dozen dismantling operations. These are the first generation reactors commissioned between 1963 and 1986 which used graphite-gas technology. A February 2020 report from the Court of Auditors noted “significant drifts in estimated costs” for the dismantling in progress. The dismantling operations for the two Fessenheim units are planned over a period of 15 years, according to a plan released in May 2020 by EDF. The cost for the dismantling of a single reactor has been assessed by the public group at between 350 million euros and 500 million euros.
The setbacks of the EPR
A first so-called third-generation reactor, baptized EPR for European pressurized reactor, has been under construction since 2007 in Flamanville. But this new technology presented as the “flagship” of the nuclear industry with a high power of 1,650 MW per reactor and additional safety systems, is accumulating delays and setbacks. While it was initially to enter into service in 2012 at a cost of 3.3 billion euros, this reactor should finally start up in 2023 for a total cost reassessed at 12.7 billion euros.
The question of waste
French nuclear power plants have produced around 50,000 cubic meters of “long-lived” radioactive waste (active for more than 300 years) since they entered service. This waste is processed at the Areva reprocessing plant in La Hague: 95% is recycled into new fuel and 5% is transformed into vitrified waste. The Cigeo project plans to store 85,000 m3 of radioactive waste 500 meters underground in Bure (Meuse) from 2035, which has sparked local opposition.
