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Move is part of president Macron’s bid to revive reactor industry The government is pushing hard for nuclear to be a major part of France’s energy future. Courtesy @AgnesRunacher. France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, has approved plans that call for the revision of 2015 legislation that would have reduced the share of nuclear energy in the French electricity mix from about 70% today to 50% by 2035, paving the way for president Emmanuel Macron’s government to revive the nuclear sector and build new reactors.

The assembly, by 97 votes to 26, approved an article that would revise a 2015 law introduced under the presidency of Francois Hollande to reduce the share of nuclear power.

The revised article is expected to form part of key energy proposals expected to be finalised this summer, Le Figaro reported.

Minister for energy transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher was reported as saying she wants “neither a ceiling nor floor” on the amount of nuclear in the mix. She said nuclear’s share is about 70% – the highest in the world – but was 63% in 2022 due to the shutdowns of several reactors because of problems with piping corrosion.

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/national-assembly-votes-to-abolish-plans-to-reduce-nuclear-share-3-4-2023

First pair in new fleet of EPR2 reactors likely to be built at existing Penly power station site The nuclear plan was approved on its first reading with 402 votes in favour and 130 against. France’s lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, voted in favour of the government’s nuclear power plan with a large majority on Tuesday (21 March), heralding what the energy minister said was the start of “the immense project” of relaunching the country’s nuclear industry.

The nuclear plan, whose key plank is the planned construction of six new nuclear reactors, was approved on its first reading with 402 votes in favour and 130 against.

The plan says the first pair of EPR2 reactors in the new fleet would be built at the existing Penly nuclear power station, 10 km from Dieppe in northern France.

The plan aims to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power plants by cutting bureaucracy. The government has said it wants to streamline the administrative processes needed to approve and build new plants.

The plan aims to “reduce by several years” the construction time of new EPR2 reactors “in the immediate vicinity of existing power plants”.

Date: Friday, 24 March 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/national-assembly-vote-hailed-as-start-of-project-to-relaunch-nuclear-industry-3-3-2023

Newcleo, the UK-headquartered developer of small modular lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), has signed an agreement with Italian utility Enel to cooperate on Newcleo's power plant projects, including taking a stake in the first plant.

Date: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Enel-to-collaborate-with-Newcleo-on-LFR-developmen

France's EDF has signed a Letter of Intent with Italy's Ansaldo Energia, Ansaldo Nucleare and Edison to assess potential industrial cooperation for the development of nuclear power in Europe, including in Italy, specifically in the field of small modular reactors (SMRs).

Date: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/EDF-teams-up-with-Italian-partners-on-SMR-developm

Newly appointed EDF CEO Luc Remont announced a record net loss of €17.9bn euros ($19bn) in 2022, but pledged to put the company back on track. Électricité de France (EDF) posted a loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of €4.99bn, compared with positive Ebitda of €18bn in 2021. The company's net financial debt increased 50% in 2022 to €64.5bn up from €43bn the previous year. “The 2022 results were significantly affected by the decline in our electricity output, and also by exceptional regulatory measures introduced in France in difficult market conditions,” Rémont said.

Date: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsrecord-losses-for-edf-10612700

France’s Nuclear Policy Council (CPN - Conseil de Politique Nucléaire), headed by President Emmanuel Macron is making preparations to deal with winter 2023. At a recent meeting it decided to "take stock of the entire French nuclear dossier, both in the short and long-term". The decisions taken “will make it possible to prepare the next multi-annual energy programme, which will be presented in June 2023, before a debate in Parliament on the energy and climate programming law," a presidential statement said.

Date: Friday, 10 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsfrances-nuclear-policy-council-seeks-to-remobilise-the-nuclear-sector-10582940

The Nuclear Policy Council (Conseil de Politique Nucléaire, CPN) - headed by President Emmanuel Macron - met on 3 February to "take stock of the entire French nuclear dossier, both in the short and long-term". The council has called for a new skills development programme, as well as studies into how radioactive waste will be managed, in order for a nuclear new-build programme to be launched.

Date: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/French-ministerial-council-prepares-for-nuclear-re

Amended legislation includes major research and development push with SMRs, Generation IV and clean hydrogen The Flamanville-3 EPR is the only nuclear power plant under construction in FRance. Courtesy EDF. The French Senate has adopted an amended bill that aims to reduce bureaucracy around the construction of new nuclear reactors and includes a provision for the removal of a 50% cap on the share of nuclear power in the electricity mix by 2035.

The bill, which still needs to go before the National Assembly, was adopted in first reading on 24 January by 239 votes to 16.

The bill aims to speed up procedures related to the construction of new nuclear facilities near existing nuclear sites and to the operation of existing installations.

Energy minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher hopes to save up to 56 months on construction by simplifying administrative procedures for building new facilities near existing nuclear sites.

The bill says France will pursue research and innovation efforts in the direction of nuclear energy and low-carbon hydrogen, in particular by supporting pressurised European reactors, small modular reactors, Generation IV reactors and the €20bn ($21bn) International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (Iter) nuclear fusion plant under construction at Cadarache in southern France.

Date: Saturday, 04 February 2023
Original article: nucnet.org/news/senate-passes-nuclear-bureaucracy-bill-as-country-gears-up-for-nuclear-renaissance-1-4-2023

Hungary will veto any EU sanctions imposed on Russian nuclear energy organisations and enterprises, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the morning programme one Kossuth radio.

Date: Wednesday, 01 February 2023
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newshungary-will-veto-any-eu-sanctions-against-russias-nuclear-sector-10558203

The French Senate has overwhelmingly approved a draft bill aimed at accelerating procedures related to the construction of new nuclear facilities near existing nuclear sites and to the operation of existing facilities. The bill was adopted in its first reading in the Senate, with 239 votes in favour and 16 against.

Date: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/French-Senate-adopts-bill-on-accelerating-nuclear