To Build 14 New Nuclear Reactors, President Macron: Revival Of France's Nuclear Industry

JAKARTA - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for a "awakening" for the nuclear industry, saying he wants up to 14 new nuclear reactors (European Pressurised Reactor/Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) to power the country's transition from fossil fuels.

"What we have to build today, because it is the right time, is the revival of the French nuclear industry," said President Macron at the strategic turbine plant in Belfort, northeastern France, quoted by the Daily Sabah on February 11.

"I want six EPR2s built and we will launch a study to build eight additional EPR2s," he continued, referring to a new generation of reactors being developed by state-controlled energy giant EDF.

President Macron acknowledged France had failed to invest in its nuclear industry over the past decade, following the nuclear disaster at Japan's Fukushima power plant in 2011.

"Some countries made a radical choice to leave nuclear. France did not make this choice. But we did not invest because we had doubts (before)," he said.

Calling France's nuclear regulators 'unmatched' in their decisiveness and professionalism, President Macron called the decision to build a new nuclear power plant a "choice of progress, a choice of confidence in science and technology."

President Macron also announced he would seek to extend the life of all existing French nuclear plants where it is safe to do so, and would seek major new investments in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

"We have no choice but to rely on these two pillars," he said.

Meanwhile, according to The Guardian, atomic energy provides about 70 percent of France's electricity, and low-cost nuclear power has been a mainstay of the French economy since the 1970s.

However, recent attempts to build a new generation of reactors to replace older models have stumbled upon cost overruns and delays.

To note, President Macron's focus on nuclear power marks a policy shift from the start of his presidency, when he pledged to reduce his share of France's energy mix.

In addition, the French Government lobbied hard and successfully for the European Commission to label nuclear power 'green' this month, in a landmark review that means it can attract funding as a climate-friendly source of electricity.