The CEO of EDF said Tuesday that it was "
urgent
" to launch "
concrete actions
" for the construction of new nuclear reactors in France, after the decision in principle announced by President Emmanuel Macron last year.
"
We hope that the government will get a little more into the heart of the matter with regard to the realization of the political position of the Head of State in early November,
" said Jean-Bernard Lévy during a meeting with the Association of Economic and Financial Journalists (AJEF).
Read alsoThe shutdown of nuclear reactors falters EDF
"
The most urgent thing is to launch the dynamic around the construction of the Penly reactors, in particular
," the Seine-Maritime site where the first pair of new EPRs should be built, he added.
“
I hope that the government will move from a phase of declaration of principle to a phase of launching concrete actions.
I think this is a matter that is urgent,
”insisted Jean-Bernard Lévy.
France is preparing to launch the construction of new reactors on its soil, twenty years after the commissioning of the last, announced Emmanuel Macron on November 9.
But he has since given no details on this project.
The country is currently building only one new generation EPR reactor on its soil, that of Flamanville (Manche).
Read alsoNuclear: global competition is raging in the market for small reactors
The nuclear issue is also shaking up the pre-campaign for the 2022 presidential election, with candidates favorable to this energy (particularly on the right, the far right but also the PCF) and other hostiles (LFI and EELV specifically).
"
Our hope is that there is a good realization that further delaying the realization of the political impetus given by the President of the Republic can only be done to the detriment of a nuclear industry which we can see clearly that 'it can only remain competitive, competent and attractive to talent if it builds,
”added Jean-Bernard Lévy.
