France will build new nuclear power plants to guarantee its energy independence and fight climate change
French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will build new nuclear power plants for the first time in decades, to guarantee its energy independence without contributing to the acceleration of climate change.
In a televised address to the nation on November 9, Macron confirmed he is embracing nuclear power as a strategy for a better future, and announced that "for the first time in decades" France is going to "relaunch the construction of nuclear reactors and continue to develop renewable energies."
The French President assured that the start of construction of new reactors will help guarantee energy independence and supply for the country, and also help to reach the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
He said the European Union must work together "to build a credible strategy for reducing our CO2 emissions, compatible with our industrial and technological sovereignty."
For the first time in decades, France relaunches the construction of new nuclear units
Emmanuel Macron recently announced a 1 billion Euro investment for the construction of small modular reactors (SMRs), as part of the France 2030 Plan to reindustralize the country via the green and digital transition.
France is the country in Europe with the highest number of nuclear power plants, and the first in nuclear production. Its 56 operating units generate 70% of the country's electricity, and there is a new reactor under construction.
For President Macron, carrying on with nuclear development in the country "is absolutely key, because we know we will continue to need this technology."
Macron: “It is absolutely key to carry on with nuclear technology, because we know we will continue to need this technology."
The French nuclear impulse parallels that of other countries that have embraced this technology. According to data from the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), currently in the world there are 442 operating reactors and 51 more units under construction in 33 countries.
