France unveiled a ten-year plan – six new reactors and a complete nuclear renaissance.

The French government today officially announced the third Multiannual Energy Program (PPE3), which defines the country's energy pathway for the period from 2026 to 2035. The document, presented by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu at EDF's Vouglans hydroelectric plant, places nuclear energy at the center of the national strategy, with the goal of a complete reversal in energy consumption: by 2035, as much as 70% of France's energy must come from decarbonized sources.

Strategy pillar: nuclear energy

WNN navodi i da je PPE3 donesen nakon dugogodišnjih konsultacija koje su počele pre nekoliko godina i da – iako nije u pitanju nikakav ‘law’, pa su u budućnosti moguće izmene i promene – PPE3 formalizuje prethodne ambiciozne planove i donosi nekoliko ključnih odluka koje će oblikovati evropsko tržište energije. Na prvom mestu, planira se izgradnja novih reaktora: naime potvrđena je izgradnja šest novih EPR2 reaktora, uz opciju za još osam jedinica o čemu će se odlučivati već tokom ove godine, dakle, potencijalno ukupno 14 novih reaktora.

Secondly, the plan calls for extending the operation of the existing fleet to 50, and even 60 years, with strict safety checks. Thirdly, the plan calls for the start of construction of France's first SMR in the early 2030s. In the end, it definitively abandons the previous target of closing 14 reactors, thereby sparing the nuclear fleet from potential decimation.

Ekonomska suverenost i nova radna mesta

The government estimates that implementing PPE3 will generate more than 120,000 new jobs by 2030, primarily in the nuclear sector and the offshore wind sector. In addition, the strategy aims to drastically reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, which currently cost France nearly €60 billion per year.

Reakcije industrije 

Leading companies in the sector – EDF, Framatome and Orano – welcomed the publication of the programme. Bernard Fontana, CEO of EDF, noted that this framework enables the company to provide the cheapest electricity in Europe for French households and industry. Nicolas Maes, CEO of Orano, added that PPE3 provides the necessary visibility for managing industrial projects, particularly with regard to the renewal of the fuel cycle.

The French Nuclear Industry Association (GIFEN) stressed that nuclear energy is a fundamental pillar of sovereignty that enables accelerated electrification of transport and heating, which is a prerequisite for decarbonizing the entire economy.