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Macron said the decision to use nuclear reactors to propel future warships was part of France’s climate strategy. He also emphasized the lower emission compared to diesel fuel.
Speaking at a nuclear facility in the city of Le Creusot in Burgundy, he called France’s nuclear weapons and atomic energy industry the cornerstones of his country’s strategic autonomy, saying that the nuclear sector played a role in France’s status as a great power.
One of his advisers noted that owning an aircraft carrier also helped France project its global influence. Few countries in the world maintain such large and expensive ships.
According to the French presidential adviser, the new French aircraft carrier will be about 70,000 tonnes long and 300 meters long, roughly 1.5 times the size of Charles de Gaulle. Charles de Gaulle himself has been deployed for international military operations in Iraq and Syria in recent years.
Later the new aircraft carrier will use its American-made electromagnetic catapult. The ship is also designed to accommodate next-generation fighters and be operational until around 2080, advisers to the French president said.(Also read: Bluffing China, US-Japan-France Preparing Joint Military Maneuvers )
They did not disclose the price of the ship but French media estimated the cost to be around $ 8.5 billion.
Macron also pledged 500 million euros in investment in the nuclear industry and a separate fund to modernize, as well as promising “progress” on the issue of how to permanently dispose of nuclear waste. Nuclear reactors provide most of France’s electricity, but many aging reactors and delays have disrupted new generation reactors.
Macron, who co-hosted a global video conference on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate accord, said France must also do more to develop wind, solar, hydrogen and other renewable energies.(Also read: HRW also condemns France’s decision to close anti-Islamophobic group )
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