France authorizes preparatory work on new nuclear units at Gravelines

French company EDF has received government approval to begin preparatory work on two new nuclear reactors. The planned pair of EPR2 units, with a combined installed capacity of around 3.3 GW, is to be built at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France. France plans to build four more reactors at the Penly and Bugey plants. A final investment decision on the first pair of units is expected in the near future.

At the end of August, the French government gave the green light to preparatory work for new nuclear reactors in the country. EDF can now begin preparing the Gravelines site for the construction of two new EPR2 reactors. EDF currently operates six nuclear units at the Gravelines plant, each with an installed capacity of 910 MW.

The permit covers, among other things, the construction of facilities for the future construction site, relocation of the plant’s existing railway terminal and creation of parking areas for construction workers. EDF can also begin engineering work and prepare drainage for the area beneath the future reactor building. The permit also provides for the construction of an information centre and the relocation of protected animal and plant species at appropriate times.

France’s nuclear renaissance

In 2022, the French president unveiled a nuclear programme described as a nuclear renaissance. In addition to extending the operating lives of existing nuclear power plants, it includes the construction of new nuclear units. The first phase envisages six EPR2 units, based on the design of the EPR pressurised water reactor, which is in operation in France at the Flamanville plant.

The expected investment in the new units, with a combined capacity of almost 10 GW, is EUR 72.8 billion (around CZK 1.76 trillion). The first units are to be built at the Penly plant, followed by Gravelines and then Bugey. The French government expects to provide financial support for the project, with the first units expected to begin operating at the end of the 2030s. EDF has said it expects to make the final investment decision on construction at Penly this year.

France subsequently plans to continue its nuclear programme, depending on how construction progresses, with up to eight more EPR2 reactors. Construction of EPR units in France and Finland has suffered significant delays.