The option, mentioned by Emmanuel Macron, will be “studied” with other potential sites according to EDF CEO Luc Rémont.
Nuclear reactors at Fos. During his visit to the large port of Marseille at the end of June, the President of the Republic had raised the idea that the industrial basin of Marseille-Fos could accommodate EPR nuclear reactors, to meet the additional energy needs of the port of Marseille.
An idea immediately dismissed by the mayor of the city, Benoît Payan, who believes that “there will not be the possibility of building an EPR” in the Marseille-Fos basin according to franceinfo.“We are in a submersible zone, in a seismic zone, if there is a place in France where we cannot make an EPR, it is in Marseille”had underlined the chosen one.
The CEO of EDF, however, indicated this Thursday, July 27 that this possibility will be “studied” as may be other sites that do not yet host a nuclear power plant.
“We will study [la question]. When the President of the Republic expresses himself by saying that we have to study something, naturally we will study it, obviously”, explained Luc Rémont, interviewed by the press on the sidelines of the announcement of his group’s half-year results.
“I think it is desirable to study other sites than the existing sites, (…) not necessarily for the very short term and, I would add, not necessarily for EPRs”, he added.
The government is extending the project to build six to 14 EPR2 type reactors, the first of which is expected by 2035. At this stage, the State plans to install future EPR2 reactors in pairs within the perimeter of existing power plants: two in Penly (Seine-Maritime), then two in Gravelines (North) and two in Bugey (Ain).
It also supports the development of smaller reactors, known as “SMRs” (small modular reactors), which are being studied in several countries around the world. Finally, the choice of Bugey for the planned 5th and 6th EPR reactors was announced on July 19 at the end of a “nuclear policy council” held at the Elysée around the Head of State. “The Bugey site was more ready than that of Tricastin” (Drôme), also approached, had indicated the office of Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher, evoking “a rational choice to meet schedules as soon as possible”.
With AFP
#EDF #study #possibility #installing #nuclear #reactors #MarseilleFos #basin
