PERSPECTIVE: NUCLEAR POWERMacron Supports Nuclear in Carbon-Neutrality Push

Published 10 February 2022

France will build at least six new nuclear reactors in the decades to come, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, placing nuclear power at the heart of his country’s drive for carbon neutrality by 2050.

France will build at least six new nuclear reactors in the decades to come, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday, placing nuclear power at the heart of his country’s drive for carbon neutrality by 2050.

Reuters reports that

Macron said the new plants would be built and operated by state-controlled energy provider EDF and that tens of billions of euros in public financing would be mobilized to finance the projects and safeguard EDF’s finances.

Promising to accelerate the development of solar and offshore wind power in France, Macron also announced he wanted to extend the lifespan of older nuclear plants to 50 years or more from 40 years currently, provided it was safe.

The nuclear blueprint cements France’s commitment to nuclear power, a mainstay of the country’s postwar industrial prowess.

Nuclear safety still divides Europe after Japan’s Fukushima disaster. France lobbied hard for nuclear to be labeled as sustainable under new European Commission rules on green financing.

If the new EU taxonomy rules are approved, it should reduce the cost of financing nuclear energy projects.