08.02.2025 US
1081 day since the barbaric invasion of Ukraine

France plans to build eight new nuclear power units to increase capacity

France has announced its intention to build eight additional EPR2 nuclear power units, which will lead to an increase in the total capacity of nuclear power plants by more than 23 GW.

Oleksandr Budariev
Eurodif Nuclear Power Plant, Tricastin, France
Eurodif Nuclear Power Plant, Tricastin, France, illustrative photo / Photo: Dean Calma / IAEA, CC BY-SA 2.0

France plans a significant expansion of its nuclear capacity, announcing the construction of eight new EPR2-type power units, reports "Energoatom" on its Telegram channel.

This is in addition to the already planned six reactors, bringing the total number of new nuclear power units in the country to 14. The total capacity of the new installations will exceed 23 GW.

President Emmanuel Macron confirmed these plans and spoke about the importance of new nuclear facilities for the country's energy transition.

The new reactors are necessary to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and achieve climate goals.

Earlier, the French nuclear power plant operator decided to build three pairs of EPR2 reactors. Two power units will be built at each of the Penly, Gravelines, and Bugey nuclear power plant sites.

Each of these reactors will have a capacity of 1670 MW.

In June 2024, the French company EDF and the Ukrainian "Energoatom" signed a cooperation agreement, which is necessary for the development of nuclear energy and international interaction in this area.

It should be noted that the President of France Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and the appointment of early elections on June 30, after his party suffered a defeat in the European Parliament elections.