Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne asks the new CEO of EDF Luc Rémont to restore the nuclear apparatus to working order, to better control the projects in progress and to straighten out its finances, in a mission letter summarized by Matignon on Saturday January 7.
In her letter of December 9, reported by Les Échos this Friday, the head of government sets three priorities for Luc Rémont, asking him first of all to restore EDF production in France "
to a level consistent with the capacities of its industrial tool and the best international comparables
", while 14 out of 56 nuclear reactors are still shut down.
Elisabeth Borne asks the national electrician, in the process of 100% renationalisation, to "
control the deadlines and budgets of the nuclear projects in progress
".
"Rightening the financial trajectory of the company"
His letter was written a few days before EDF announced a new delay of six months and an additional cost of 500 million euros for the new generation EPR reactor in Flamanville (Manche) whose commissioning is now scheduled for here in mid-2024.
Luc Rémont must at the same time “
straighten the financial trajectory of the company
”, very indebted, but also meet “
the expectations of consumers in the context of rising energy prices
”.
Read alsoNuclear power plants in the harbor, abysmal debt ... The Herculean projects of the new boss of EDF
"
The objectives set for the company by the government are part of a particular context
" because EDF "
must face major operational difficulties in the French nuclear fleet and respond to the government's desire to relaunch one of the most ambitious in the world
," Matignon told AFP.
"
At the same time, the company must respond to the challenges of ecological planning,
" added those around Elisabeth Borne.
Luc Rémont has six months to respond: he will have to propose "
a new strategic, operational and financial roadmap for the future of EDF, in the first half of 2023
".
Elisabeth Borne also mentions in her letter a “
targeted development
” of EDF for export.