The French government has unveiled a new draft law proposal for nuclear energy, in which the French government plans to build six new EPR2 reactors, as well as keep an option to build eight additional ones, and ease administrative procedures involved in the development of new reactors.
The construction of the first of those reactors is expected to start before May 2027 and should be completed in 2035 or 2036. The French government estimates that the six new reactors will cost €51.7bn. The reactors would be built on three existing EDF nuclear sites: two reactors at Penly, in the department of Seine-Maritime, two at Gravelines, in northern France, and two at either Bugey, eastern France, or Tricastin, southern France.
The government also released another draft law focused on accelerating the deployment of renewable energies in the country, in which the country wants to multiply solar power by ten, build 50 offshore wind farms and double the power production from onshore wind turbines by 2050. The law also aims to shorten and facilitate administrative procedures in order to hasten the development of renewables in the country.
On 22 September 2022, France inaugurated its first offshore wind park, the 480 MW Saint-Nazaire Park. At the end of 2021, onshore wind represented nearly 14% of France’s installed capacity with 19 GW, solar represented 9% with 13 GW, and nuclear represented 44% with more than 61 GW.
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