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Paris has previously stated that it will not build a new reactor until the completion of the new reactor in Flamanville in northern France. It is reported that the reactor has suffered ten years of delays and huge cost overruns.
According to the World Nuclear Association, France already has 56 reactors in operation and obtains approximately 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy.
Macron oncetelevisionThe speech stated: “In order to ensure France’s energy independence, guarantee our country’s power supply and achieve our goals-especially to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050-we will resume the construction of our country’s nuclear reactors for the first time in decades and continue. Develop renewable energy.”
He made this speech when climate negotiators in Glasgow were debating how to accelerate efforts to combat climate change and when Europe continued to worry about rising energy prices.
Although European countries are particularly dependent on global gas and oil producers, including Russia, France is the country that relies on nuclear energy most in Europe. It is reported that about 70% of its electricity comes from nuclear energy.
Although Macron did not give further details on this plan, his government is expected to announce the construction of up to six new pressurized water reactors in the next few weeks.
Nuclear power plants in dispute
Nuclear energy produces much lower emissions than coal, oil or natural gas, but the construction cost of nuclear power plants is very high, and the radioactive waste produced is deadly for tens of thousands of years.
Germany’s response to the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan was to accelerate its national reactor withdrawal plan.
Obviously, politicians are divided on whether nuclear energy should be included in the global carbon emission reduction plan.
Greenpeace criticized Macron’s statement and said the plan to build the new reactor was out of touch with reality. In addition, the organization also pointed out the problem of Flamanville.
EDF, France’s main state-owned power company, said it was very pleased with Macron’s statement. The company’s CEO Jean-Bernard Lévy said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday: “EDF has done a lot of cooperation with the nuclear industry in order to be able to say that we are ready. We are ready.”