EDF to invest billions of euros in extending the operating life of 20 nuclear units

French energy company EDF announced last week that it expects billion-euro investments related to extending the operating lives of nuclear units. The company recently received the green light from the French nuclear regulator, paving the way for the operating lives of 20 nuclear units to be extended beyond their originally designed 40 years. Preparatory work on the first unit began last year, according to EDF.

Extending the operating lives of nuclear units has been a frequent topic of discussion in recent years. Experience from operating dozens or even hundreds of nuclear power plants across Europe and the world shows that, with proper maintenance, they can operate well beyond their originally designed lifetimes.

Similar discussions are also taking place in the Czech Republic, as well as in France, which, with a nuclear power fleet boasting an installed capacity of 63 GW, is Europe's largest producer of nuclear power.

Many of these nuclear power plants were commissioned in the 1980s and 1990s and are approaching the end of their originally designed operating lives. The French nuclear regulator recently approved the possible extension of operations at 20 EDF nuclear units, which will require substantial investment. However, where possible, extending the operating lives of existing plants is significantly less costly than building new nuclear units.

EDF says that raising safety standards at the 20 French nuclear units will require investment of approximately 6 billion euros. The original units are expected to meet safety standards comparable to those of modern EPR units.

The French nuclear regulator said, according to Reuters, that it would assess safety requirements for each unit individually during regular inspections. EDF will then be required to submit annual reports on progress in implementing the required measures.