At the 26th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), while countries around the world are presenting climate change countermeasures, French President Macron announced on November 9, 2021 (local time) to achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a cause of climate change. As an effort, it announced a policy to promote nuclear power generation.
France is a country with high dependence on nuclear energy, but the problem of aging of domestic nuclear reactors is pointed out. In addition, at the Flamville power plant in northwestern France, the development of a new nuclear power plant, which was originally set to start operation in 2012, was delayed significantly, making it a big task in French energy policy.
In the midst of this, President Macron, five months before the French presidential election, said in a televised speech on November 9 that it is the first time in decades to achieve the goals of ensuring France’s energy independence, ensuring electricity supply and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. It said it would resume construction of domestic nuclear reactors and continue developing renewable energy.
Macron previously promised to reduce the share of nuclear power in France’s energy mix from 75% to 50% by 2035. France’s energy authorities also announced plans to put a new European pressurized water reactor on hold until the reactor under construction at the Flamville nuclear power plant is complete.
According to the report, the reason behind this change of direction in France is that the European gas crisis raises energy prices and the effect that electricity consumption is putting pressure on households may spread to society as a whole.
Macron did not give specific details on the design of the reactor increase, but the Macron regime is expected to announce plans to build up to six new European pressurized water reactors in the coming weeks. Related information can be found here.