French energy group EDF has presented its contribution to the government's multi annual energy programme (Programmation Pluriannuelle de l'Energie or PPE) for 2028. The group will close no nuclear reactor before 2029 except the Fessenheim facility and will seek permission to extend some of them until 60 years of operations. EDF is currently authorised to operate the 58 reactors of its French fleet for 40 years. Some of them will reach this deadline from 2019 and EDF will seek approval from the French nuclear watchdog Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) to extend their operational lives by another 10 years (i.e. until 2029 for the oldest reactor, Tricastin), to have them operating up to 50 years.
EDF also confirmed that it is still working on the development of a simplified EPR reactor to renew a portion of the French nuclear fleet by 2030. The group is awaiting a decision from the French state to launch the process. The company expects an increase in electricity consumption of up 0.5% per year over the next two decades, unlike French transmission network operator RTE which forecasts electricity consumption to stabilise or decrease by 2035.