nuclear-news

France planning the move away from nuclear power

French Nuclear Reliance to Drop Without Reactor Halts, EDF Says Bloomberg, By Tara Patel – Oct 4, 2012  Forecasts for rising power use will curb Electricite de France’s ability to satisfy domestic demand even without the closure of more nuclear reactors, Chief Executive Officer Henri Proglio said. That would see the country’s reliance on nuclear power dropping to 50 percent of power production by about 2025 from more than 75 percent now, he said.

That would meet President Francois Hollande’s campaign pledge to reduce France’s dependence on nuclear generation. Progio’s comments come ahead of a national debate on energy which the government has said will lay the groundwork for legislation that could determine EDF’s spending plans on its reactors for decades. Hollande’s promise to cut dependence on nuclear energy stemmed from an electoral pact with the Greens party and marked a departure from previous backing of atomic power from the main Socialist and conservative parties in France …..
The Greens’ electoral pact with the Socialist Party, which was never published, was for the shutting down of 24 of France’s 58 nuclear reactors by 2025. During the campaign Hollande distanced himself from the policy, pledging closure of Fessenheim and a lowering of nuclear
reliance instead.
Proglio’s comments today indicate that the utility’s existing reactors may be spared as the government formulates policy. “We could do everything,” he said today. “We could keep existing production for the most part, which is what the government is
planning, and add new means.”
Proglio’s position at the helm of the utility was made uncertain with the May election of Hollande. The president’s campaign communications chief, Manuel Valls, who is now interior minister, in February questioned Proglio’s support of incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy and said his attitude during the campaign had been “totally abnormal.” France holds
84 percent of EDF. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-04/french-nuclear-reliance-to-drop-without-reactor-halts-edf-says.html

October 5, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | France, politics