the nuclear power plant, the economic heart of Gravelines

In Gravelines (Nord), nuclear reactors have been part of the landscape for 40 years. The city hosts the largest power station in Western Europe, which generates nearly 15,000 jobs throughout the region, including 2,000 directly on site. The inhabitants are all linked to it, directly or indirectly. “‘If there was no power plant, there would be nothing in Gravelines”, says a resident. Jeanne Millois, for her part, receives many consumers in her café thanks to the central office.

Since its commissioning in 1980, the site has attracted many industries. “It provides electricity to almost all of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, it has enabled the installation of large electricity consumers, (…) which has made it possible to boost [la] urban community of Dunkirk, and to make quite exceptional investments, for example the free bus”, explains Bertrand Ringot, mayor (PS) of Gravelines. The presence of nuclear nevertheless worries the associations, for safety and environmental reasons. “We do not control the problem of waste, which will be bequeathed to the following generations”warns Jean Sename, of the association “Les Amis de la Terre”