
Japan’s nuclear tragedy is igniting a debate in France which generates more than three-quarters of its electricity from nuclear energy. The French nuclear sector has the unflinching support of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has decided to extend the lifespan of France’s nuclear plants so they can operate beyond 40 years. State-owned Electricite de France is a French powerhouse, which operates all of the nation’s nuclear reactors and which wants their licenses extended by 20 years.

Sarkozy has lobbied hard at home and abroad in favor of nuclear power, a substantial sector of the French economy. France actively exports nuclear energy technology and takes in nuclear plant waste from countries around the world. However, Sarkozy is also trailing in presidential election polls to Francois Hollande, who has pledged to reduce the nation’s dependence to under 50 percent if elected.
22 of the country’s 58 nuclear reactors will have reached their 40 year lifespan by 2022. The French government, meanwhile, is expected to release its own analysis of the nuclear energy program there by mid-month. It will say that increasing the lives of the existing units there from 40 to 60 years is a better way to spend the national wealth than to build new power plants from scratch.
“The president has decided to ask all the operators to position themselves to be able to prolong the lifespan of our reactors and our nuclear plants beyond 40 years,” France’s industry minister, Eric Besson said. The decision doesn’t automatically mean an extension because the regulator has the final say, according to the minister. “It would be a waste to halt our reactors at 40 years,” Besson said. A nuclear power exit would be “destructive” for French industry, Besson said. “There’s nothing reasonable about it.”
In January, French regulators said that all of the nations units current security techniques must be enhanced right away. The French Nuclear Safety Authority also added that stronger safety measures are needed to prevent the spread of radiation in the event of an accident.
[quote]
“Nothing has changed,” says Jacques Besnainou, chief executive of Areva North America, in an interview with this writer, referring to the events in Japan. “This event will make nuclear safer. We think nuclear is still a good bet. Fukushima will not delay the renaissance.”
[/quote]
[toggle_simple title=”Related Articles” width=”600″]
Related articles
- Vulnerability of French Nuclear Plants Exploited in Latest Demonstration (enformable.com)
- Czech Republic to move away from nuclear energy goals – 18 proposed builds cancelled (enformable.com)
- NRC Approves First New Reactors in U.S. Since 1978 (ex-skf.blogspot.com)
- Exposed? Asahi: Water may not be reaching part of melted nuclear fuel from Reactor No. 2, says unnamed Tepco official (enenews.com)
- KEPCO President’s complaints on Mihama’s Reactor 1 future – Hopes to escape shutdown (enformable.com)
- *Just In* Tepco: Water injections may no longer be able to properly cool down melted nuclear fuel in Reactor No. 2 – Says criticality is not taking place (VIDEO) (enenews.com)
- New Seismic Data Could Raise Earthquake Protection Bar For US Nuclear Reactors (enformable.com)
- France faces several billion Euro bill to keep nuclear reactors safe (enformable.com)
- Fukushima disaster highlighted the dangers of spent fuel pools in nuclear reactor buildings (enformable.com)
- Largest pending nuclear-related suit filed against Genkai Nuclear Power Plant (enformable.com)
- NRC – San Onofre Corrosion Damage Seen In Multiple Nuclear Reactors Across United States (enformable.com)
- Fessenheim nuclear plant faces public tide of opinion post-Fukushima – leukemia report (enformable.com)
- Sarkozy refuses to shutter aging nuclear plant (foxnews.com)
- France must extend nuclear reactors’ lifespan: audit (reuters.com)
- Kazakhstan and France Agree to Open Nuclear Fuel Plant with AREVA (enformable.com)
[/toggle_simple]

- Tags: Editorials, Nuclear, Nuclear Reactor, nuclear reactors