Like other European countries, France has been baking in temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for several weeks. That is putting French nuclear reactors under stress, which doesn’t seem to call into question the country’s energy strategy.
Nuclear power plants normally generate roughly 70% of France’s produced electricity — more than in any other country.
But over half of the country’s 56 reactors have been closed for several months due to planned or extraordinary maintenance.
And about a fifth of them would normally have to interrupt their activities or at least bring them down to a bare minimum as the water temperature of the rivers, into which the plants discharge their cooling water, is exceeding a certain limit.
But the government has suspended the rule until at least September 11.
‘Ripple effects throughout the food chain’
That decision is exasperating Jean-Pierre Delfau, an environmental activist at local group FNE86.
“I just can’t understand how they can keep the reactors running although that will have a disastrous impact on the ecosystem,” he told DW, as he was making his way, together with two other environmentalists, through high grass on the bank of the Garonne river to take a water sample on a recent Thursday afternoon.
The Garonne supplies cooling water for the Golfech nuclear plant in southwestern France. One of the power station’s two reactors has been standing still for months after authorities had found corrosion and little cracks at safety-relevant pipes. The second reactor is one of those functioning with a derogation.
Environmental activist Jean-Pierre Delfau wants some of the reactors to at least suspend operations amid the current heat wave
“The Garonne’s water throughput is already down to 50 cubic meters per second from several thousands in normal times due to the heat. The Golfech plant makes that worse — it uses 8 cubic meters for its cooling system but only discharges 6 cubic meters back, as some of the water evaporates during the process,” Delfau pointed out.
He added that the plant’s cooling process increased the water’s temperature by six degrees triggering ripple effects throughout the food chain.
“The warmer water destroys microalgae that are food for certain small fish, which bigger fish feed on,” the 79-year-old, who has been an anti-nuclear protester for more than 50 years, explained. “Plus, warmer water contains more bacteria. In order to make it potable, we have to add a lot of chemicals, which people then drink.”
No existential crisis for French nuclear power
Power company EDF, which runs all of France’s nuclear power plants, declined an interview request with DW. A spokeswoman replied by email that the situation was “extraordinary” and that so far, environmental probes had not revealed any negative impact on the flora and fauna around the respective reactors.
Meanwhile, the current issues don’t seem to throw French nuclear power into an existential crisis. The government is planning on soon nationalizing EDF and constructing additional nuclear plants.
But that has Anna Creti, director of the Chair for Climate Economy at Paris University Dauphine, scratch her head.
“It’s not quite clear how this strategy is supposed to work on a technology level, especially in the short run,” she told DW.
Water-pressurized so-called EPR reactors are being built in the town of Flamanville
Technology ‘not ready’
“France is banking on so-called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for which there exist roughly 40 different technologies, all of them in a pilot phase. Getting them ready for deployment could take up to 10 years. The government also plans to construct more water-pressurized so-called EPR reactors — a model, which has encountered numerous problems,” she added.
According to current predictions, the country’s first EPR is to go live next year in the northern town of Flamanville. Building costs have so far at least tripled to roughly €13 billion ($13.3 billion) according to developer EDF. The Court of Auditors puts that figure at €19 billion — with construction work taking more than 10 years longer than planned. Other EPRs in Britain, China and Finland are reported to experience construction, conceptual or production problems.
“The government has nevertheless earmarked €150 billion for refurbishing existing nuclear plants and constructing new ones,” Creti explained, adding that no such funding boom was announced for renewables. Even though Paris is working on new rules to cut red tape for renewables development.
“Putting more money onrenewables would make sense, as theyhave become cheaper and cheaper over the past few years and their technology is sufficiently advanced for them to be deployed immediately across the country,” she underlined.
France is the only European country not to have reached its 2020 EU renewables targets: Renewable energy only made up to roughly 19% of energy production instead of the planned 23%.
France has its reasons
But Christian Egenhofer, associate senior research fellow at Brussels-based think tank Center for European Policy, says the EU’s so-called Strategic Autonomy are one reason for France betting on nuclear energy. The EU is aiming to be independent from other countries regarding its defense but also energy issues.
“We have roughly 100 nuclear power plants in Europe. We need nuclear scientists and engineers to take care of their maintenance work or we will have to farm out these tasks to the US, China or Korea, which would pose security issues,” he said to DW.
He added that France’s grid was also a stumbling block for a massive deployment of renewables.
“The country’s electric grid is centralized around Paris, where most of the electricity is consumed. All the power is brought there and redispatched across the country. That’s not suitable for decentralized renewables projects and adapting the grid will take years,” Egenhofer said.
Nevertheless, the expert thinks France will shift to more renewables in the long run.
Anna Creti warns that water-pressurized EPR reactors have encountered numerous problems in the past
France could experience electricity shortages in the winter
Philippe Mante is strongly hoping for that. He’s in charge of climate affairs at France’s green party EELV, which is opposed to constructing new nuclear plants but not in favor of immediately dismantling the existing ones either, for the sake of energy security.
“Even supporters of nuclear energy must know, given the current situation, that we need to massively and right away deploy renewable energy projects,” he pleaded in an interview with DW.
But even Mante has little expectation of that happening anytime soon.
“I think we should all quickly buy very warm pullovers, as we are likely to face electricity shortages this winter,” he gloomed.
Neighboring countries will be watching closely. Until now, France has been Europe’s biggest net energy exporter. This year though, the country will have to import more electricity than it’s exporting.
That’s likely to add more pressure on energy prices which are already skyrocketing, amongst other things due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and fewer Russian gas deliveries.
Edited by: Hardy Graupner
For all the latest business News Click Here
