How France became the world power of nuclear energy
France is the leader in nuclear energy in Europe. The nuclear industry accounts for over 70% of the country's energy balance. Kazinform News Agency correspondent investigated why France chose nuclear energy.
Third place in the world in electricity production at nuclear power plants
The French nuclear industry consists of 56 reactors of varying capacity located throughout the country. Among them, there are three families of different reactors of varying capacity.
The French 900 MW reactor produces an average of 500,000 MWh each month, equivalent to the consumption of about 400,000 homes. Thanks to its nuclear power plants, France became the world's third-largest producer of nuclear electricity in 2022, behind the United States and China.
This level of production places nuclear energy at the forefront of France's energy balance, ahead of hydraulic energy, renewable energy sources, thermal energy (gas, coal, etc.).
This method of generating electricity allows:
· produce significant levels of energy;
· control the level of production, unlike renewable energy sources;
· be CO2 neutral to protect the environment.
Waste disposal
On the other hand, nuclear power plants produce significant amounts of waste. French nuclear power plants run on uranium, the fuel of which must be changed every three years to maintain satisfactory production levels.
To dispose of nearly 1,150 tons of spent fuel, France decided early on to ‘close’ the national nuclear fuel cycle by reusing or reprocessing spent fuel. As a result, the French nuclear industry can extract uranium and plutonium from spent fuel for reuse, thereby reducing the volume of high-level waste.
The spent fuel is sent to La Hague for reprocessing. This plant isolates the recoverable materials, such as uranium and plutonium, from other dangerous minerals. These other types of minerals must be conditioned before being buried at depths of between 15 and 500 meters, depending on the level of activity.
How many regions are supplied with electricity by nuclear power plants?
In 2019, 80% of French nuclear electricity production was provided by 4 regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (22.4%), Grand Est (21.8%), Centre-Val de Loire (19.2%) and Normandy (17.6%).
The oldest production units are gradually being replaced by more efficient and environmentally friendly ones.
France is actively researching nuclear energy. It has technologies to produce reactors, production and disposal of fuel. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is being built in France.
Strategic choice in favor of nuclear energy
French Member of the European Parliament, Thierry Mariani, commented on the development of the nuclear industry in his country in an interview with Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
“In France, nuclear energy plays a central role in electricity production. Historically, France has made a strategic choice in favour of nuclear energy, with around 70% of its electricity generated by nuclear power plants. Since the 1970s, faced with the oil shocks, the country has invested heavily in civil nuclear energy to ensure its energy independence and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels,” says speaker.
He added that, building on the legacy of General de Gaulle, France made a political choice in favour of nuclear energy to ensure its energy autonomy.
“Under François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron, nuclear energy often fell victim to political negotiations between the Greens and the government. Faced with rising energy prices and growing scepticism about renewables, France eventually reintroduced policies favourable to nuclear energy,” says the MEP.
He also notes several significant changes regarding nuclear energy in France.
“President Emmanuel Macron announced in 2021 the construction of new EPR (European Pressurized Reactor) nuclear reactors to renew and strengthen the aging nuclear fleet. In addition, EDF (French electricity company) is working to extend the life of existing reactors to more than 40 years, investing heavily in ensuring their safety,” notes Mariani.
One of the main arguments in favor of nuclear energy, as the expert emphasizes, is its safety.
“In France, the Nuclear Safety Authority applies the highest international safety standards. Numerous safety exercises are regularly carried out, making the nuclear sector one of the safest with the fewest incidents. In the field of civil nuclear energy in France, more than 95% of the uranium used is non-fissile and therefore non-explosive. In addition, French nuclear power plants benefit from advanced technologies and strict protocols to ensure safe and controlled operation. To strengthen this safety, France created in 2001 the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), a research and expertise center dedicated to radiation protection and nuclear safety. Thus, in addition to the Nuclear Safety Authority, France has a double institutional protection,” says the speaker.
He added that from an environmental point of view, nuclear energy emits very little CO2 compared to fossil fuels. It is an effective solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
“France welcomes the ITER project in Cadarache. This project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of using thermonuclear energy, a potentially inexhaustible and clean source of energy,” he said.
Let us recall that ITER brings together experts from all over the world and is a major achievement in research into the energy of the future, strengthening France’s position as a leader in nuclear innovation.
“While France is exploring alternative energy sources, nuclear energy remains the foundation of our energy strategy, while at the same time seeking to diversify our energy mix and address security and environmental concerns,” concludes Mariani.
It should be noted that the shortlist of reactor technology suppliers who have expressed interest in implementing the project to build a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan and with whom negotiations are currently underway includes four leading world companies: the French EDF with the EPR-1200 reactor, the Russian State Corporation “Rosatom” with the VVER-1200 reactor, the Korean KHNP with the APR-1400 reactor and the Chinese CNNC with the HPR-1000 reactor.
