nuclear-news

Closing Fessenheim nuclear plant will create jobs for French workers

Speaking on French television, Labor Minister Michel Sapin said the closure of Fessenheim would actually create jobs as it would take years of specialized work to dismantle the plant.

EDF denies seeking $2.6 billion for Fessenheim closure  (Reuters) Reporting by Vicky Buffery; editing by Anthony Barker, Hans-Juergen Peters, Gary Crosse 16 Sept 12,  – French power group EDF denied it had requested compensation from the government over its decision to close the state-controlled energy company’s Fessenheim nuclear power
plant.

The comment followed an unsourced report in the newspaper Journal du Dimanche claiming EDF had asked for more 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion) to cover its loss of profit from the closure as well as the cost of investments made to prolong the life of the plant…… French President Francois Hollande, who took office in May, announced on Friday he would shut Fessenheim in Alsace, near the German border, by
the end of 2016, sticking to his election pledge to halt its
operations by the end of his mandate in 2017.

The facility, which went into service in 1977, is France’s oldest
nuclear power plant and has been a frequent focus of safety concerns
since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan that triggered the
Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Last week environmental groups called for its early closure after a
steam leak at the plant triggered a brief fire alert…….
Speaking on French television, Labor Minister Michel Sapin said the closure of Fessenheim would actually create jobs as it would take years of specialized work to dismantle the plant.

“It’s a major market for the coming years,” he told France 5.

He also reiterated assurances made by Hollande that everything
possible would be done to avoid job losses at the site.

The government is due to launch a six-month discussion on the issue,
that will seek to reshape the way energy is produced, consumed and
taxed in France.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/16/us-france-nuclear-edf-idINBRE88F05Z20120916

September 17, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | employment, France