— French President Emmanuel Macron will outline plans to build new nuclear reactors on Thursday as part of the country’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2050, officials from his office said.
The country will need to build new atomic power stations to replace some of its aging units from 2035 as a switch out of fossil fuels will boost electricity demand, the officials, who briefed journalists Wednesday under the condition they wouldn’t be named.
Macron will also stress the need to accelerate the development of wind and solar power in the short term, and to deepen efforts to reduce energy consumption, the officials said. Macron’s speech, two months before presidential elections, comes as France and other European nations face the worst energy crisis in decades. That crunch has been worsened by technical issues affecting some of Electricite de France’s 56 nuclear reactors.
The French government will play a role in the construction of the new atomic plants as such a large program requires the state to provide both financial contributions and guarantees, the officials said.
Source: BNN Bloomberg
