In Belfort, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron detailed his energy program and in particular nuclear. What, if he is re-elected, to revive the sector. Announcements welcomed by Sebastien Menesplier. the first trade union representative of this sector nevertheless remains measured.
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“The 220,000 employees in the sector appreciate the announcements that are made. Now there are many reactions that remain unresolved”, declares Sébastien Menesplier, secretary general of the CGT Mines-Energie, eco guest of franceinfo Thursday, February 10.At this time when there is a presidential election very close, we are very suspicious. And we ask ourselves a lot of questions, for employees, users, and the EDF company.
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The President of the Republic announces the construction of six new new generation EPR reactors and also recommends the extension of the life of nuclear power plants, beyond 50 years while the law today provides for the shutdown of 12 new reactors beyond 2028. Is this a renunciation? In any case, according to the general secretary of the CGT Mines-Energie “Extending the life of power plants would be a good thing if the nuclear safety authority and EDF consider that it is technically possible and that there is no problem with the safety of the installations and the safety of the environment .”
The representative of the first union of the third industrial sector in France insists: an effective revival of the nuclear sector also requires a substantial training plan to relaunch a sector and ensure the safety of the installations.“Control is also the competence of the agents that must be constantly ensured, in particular vis-à-vis the subcontractors”, emphasizes Sébastien Menesplier.
“All the safety conditions must be met. Otherwise it will give bread to eat for the antinuclear ones.”
Sebastien Menesplierfranceinfo
Who will finance the construction of these new EPRs if they see the light of day? The secretary general of the CGT Mines-Energie wants to secure public funding. “The State must give guarantees to be able to build and then operate these new reactors. This funding must be ensured”, asks Sébastien Menesplier after the money engulfed in the construction of the EPR of Flamanville, whose commissioning is now scheduled for 2023 and which cost 19 billion euros to EDF according to the latest estimates of the Court of Auditors.