The Government signed this Tuesday, June 10, the nuclear sector contract for the 2025-2028 period, which acts on the Renaissance of the atom in France and the EPR2 construction program of six new high-power reactors by 2038.
There is an ambition “to project in the coming decades,” said Marc Ferracci, Minister of Industry and Energy, by signing the contract out of the “days of perspective” of the Massy sector (ESSSSONNE).
The Minister of the Economy Éric Lombard, also present, said the importance of the “nuclear transformation” and the “competitiveness” of this industry.
EPR2, a PRPGRAM announced in 2022
This contract of the 2025-2028 sector responds to the ambition expressed by the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, who announced in February 2022 a construction program of 6 new nuclear reactors and an option for another 8.
The EPR2 program provides the construction of six new ones, including a first pair in Penly (Sena-Marítima), then in Gravelines (North) and Bugy (AIN). Initially, he pointed to an entrance to the service in 2035 for the first reactor, but the calendar was postponed to 2038.
The contract signed on Tuesday does not address the financing of the program, for which the State has so far committed to a preferential rate that covers at least 50% of the contribution.
Under the conditions of 2020, the cost of the program estimated at 51.7 billion euros in 2022 now amounts to 67.4 billion, which amounts to 79.9 billion in more recent conditions of 2023, according to a report by the Court of Accounts in January on the basis of EDF’s costs in the late 2023.
Also small reactors
In France, program financing would be accompanied by a contract on nuclear production at a price guaranteed for the state of 100 euros of the megavatio time, that is, if EDF electricity is sold in the markets beyond, EDF must pay income to the State; Next, it is the state that compensates EDF.
The sector’s contract is also related to mini reactor projects (SMR or small modular reactors), with the first implementation in the early 2030, according to Bercy, as well as the exploitation of current reactors and compliance with applicable nuclear safety requirements.
Source: BFM TV
