Yves Marignac, critical nuclear expert, is director of the Wise-Paris agency and a member of the permanent groups of experts of the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). He responded to the publication by Le Monde of a letter sent by Elisabeth Borne and Bruno Le Maire to the president of EDF, who asked him to study the construction of six new EPR reactors in France. What inspires you in this letter in which the government details its roadmap for the construction of new reactors to the CEO of EDF? Yves Marignac: This letter clearly expresses the government’s desire to move towards the construction of new EPR reactors. So far, the executive has left this option open. In the multiannual energy planning (EPP), France’s energy roadmap for the next ten years, the government said it wanted to make the decision whether or not to commit to this new program. Today, we discover that in reality the question is already decided, without bothering to continue the balanced instruction of this alternative.
Le Monde 14th Oct 2019 read more »
The French government has asked power utility EDF to prepare plans to construct six EPR nuclear reactors over the next 15 years, Le Monde newspaper said on its website on Monday. Quoting a letter sent by Environment Minister Elisabeth Borne and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to EDF’s chairman, Le Monde said the company would be required to build three pairs of EPR reactors on three sites. State-controlled EDF declined to comment on the report, but a French finance ministry official said it was a mission letter and not the basis for any future decisions.
Reuters 14th Oct 2019 read more »
Les Echos 14th Oct 2019 read more »
France is trapped in a “far-endist” policy in the construction of its Flamanville EPR reactor, experts and critics say. Despite the cost drift and years of delay, the government has no choice but to continue this project to justify the construction of new reactors, says Yves Marignac, independent expert on energy and critic of the nuclear industry . “We condemn ourselves to succeed [the Flamanville EPR] but without any guarantee that we will succeed in doing so”, adds Mr. Marignac, also a member of a permanent group of experts who advise the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). ). Six new reactors? In a letter to EDF, revealed by “Le Monde” on Monday, October 14, the government hopes to have by mid-2021 elements of expertise allowing it to make an “informed decision” for “the execution of a program to build three reactor pairs at three separate sites over fifteen years.
Montel 15th Oct 2019 read more »