France’s energy position appears to be immune to the global and European energy crisis. This was to be ensured by a nuclear power plant system that provided 70 percent of the energy continuously, cheaply and without hassle.
It turns out that each power system has its advantages and disadvantages. The latter includes the high investment costs of new nuclear power plants. Therefore, having built 56 such power plants, the French decided to rest a bit and take advantage of the high spending on nuclear energy.
It must be remembered that the history of French nuclear energy begins with Maria Skłodowska-Curie, two-time Nobel Prize winner. The first commercial nuclear reactor in this country went into operation in 1963. The eighties of the last century were a decade of the greatest development in this energy sector. At that time, 8 nuclear mayors were built.
Unfortunately, nuclear reactors are aging, require refurbishment, and then shut down. After the relative calm of the past two decades, France has decided to reform its nuclear power, which is becoming increasingly obsolete. In 2021 President Macron announced plans to build a new type of nuclear power plant (SMR) worth 30 billion euros, called France 2030. The following year, the decision was made to build 14 reactors by 2050.
Hydropower is currently the primary source of renewable energy in France, accounting for 13 percent. Mix, and then wind power accounts for 7.9 per cent. In general, French nuclear power, which was supposed to ensure the independence of the state, has technological problems. The state-owned and operated EDF group is heavily indebted, and production of renewables is still below expectations.
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