Eleven European countries, led by France, have announced their desire to develop nuclear energy, emphasizing the role of the atom in the decarbonization of the economy.
“The logic is to have more nuclear power and more renewable energies.” Guest of franceinfo on Wednesday March 1, the Minister of Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher confirmed the relaunch of nuclear power in France, after a complicated winter for the sector. While this was destined to slow down under the impetus of the policy pursued during François Hollande’s five-year term, the government has decided to put the atom back at the center of its energy mix. A bill promoting the construction of new nuclear reactors has also been under discussion in the Assembly since Wednesday.
France has even embarked on ten other European countries in this process. Where is the sector today? What are the next steps in this development ? Franceinfo comes back in three questions on this revival.
1 Where is the production of electricity of nuclear origin?
Nuclear power occupies a prominent place in the French energy mix. In 2021, it represented just over 75% of primary energy production in France, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition. However, the winter of 2022 saw the capacity of the sector drop, in particular due to maintenance work or problems with cracks. in the facilities. “During the year 2022, the availability of the nuclear fleet was systematically lower than the history of recent years (54% over the last twelve months against 73% on average over the pre-crisis period 2014-2019), leading to a level of production (…) at the lowest since 1988”notes a report (PDF document) of the Electricity Transmission Network (RTE). Result: France had to import electricity, but also gas.
While some reactors have since restarted, not all have been returned to service. As of February 28, 18 reactors were still shut down, out of the 56 present in France. “Since mid-January 2023, the availability of the nuclear fleet (…) gradually increased from around 42 gigawatts (GW) in mid-January to just over 45 GW in early February. It has since decreased slightly, with the start of the 2023 maintenance cycle. reports the same document. However, historical capacities are far from being reached. As of February 28, the sector was thus producing around 40 GW, or 66% of its potential.
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For the end of winter and the coming spring, RTE expects reactor availability to continue “far below the pre-health crisis history”with, however, a “improvement from March compared to last year”.
2 Why revive the atom?
“Achieving our climate objectives presupposes going much faster on the electrification of our country and therefore having much more electricity production capacities. [importantes]”, argued the Minister of Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher on franceinfo. To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which are responsible for climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calls for a reduction in the consumption of coal, oil and gas, respectively by 95%, 60% and 45% in 2050 compared to 2019. Fossil fuels on which France still depends a lot: they represent more than 45% of our primary energy consumption, as this infographic shows.
To get out of fossil fuels, the IPCC is advancing the paths of sobriety and “deployment of low-emission sources”. Nuclear is one of them. “It is one of many tools to achieve our climate goals, generate baseload electricity and ensure security of supply”, affirm 11 European countries in favor of the deployment of the atom. Nuclear energy, in fact, is one of the least emitting energy sources, can we conclude from the carbon base of Ademe.
Renewable energies are also among the good students in this area. During the discussions with the ten European States in favor of nuclear power, Paris had moreover judged the atom “additoinal” renewable energies to achieve the European objective of carbon neutrality in 2050. From Belfort (Territoire-de-Belfort), Emmanuel Macron had already set in February 2022 the objective of multiplying by ten the power of solar energy, doubling that of wind turbines land and to build fifty offshore wind farms by 2050. A desire reaffirmed in September in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) during the inauguration of the first French offshore wind farm: France must go “twice as fast” on the commissioning of renewable energy projects, had then hammered the head of state.
3 What is the timeline for this relaunch?
Based on a report issued by RTE in October 2021, Emmanuel Macron specified the timetable for the relaunch of nuclear power during his speech in Belfort: six second-generation EPRs built by 2050, with an option for eight more. The next two reactors will be located in Penly (Seine-Maritime), confirmed Agnès Pannier-Runacher before advancing the 2027 objective for the “first pour of concrete” And “commissioning of the first nuclear reactors between 2035 and 2036”. To facilitate their installation, the bill under discussion in the National Assembly intends to simplify administrative procedures.
In Belfort, the President of the Republic also called for reflection on the construction of “small modular reactors, the famous SMRs” by 2030. It also plans to extend the life of the existing fleet beyond 50 years. In the short term, the Flamanville EPR (Manche) must be commissioned. If the construction site, started in 2007, is years behind schedule, its connection is scheduled for mid-2024.