France Could Shut Up To 17 Reactors In Bid To Meet 50% Nuclear Share, Says Hulot

11 Jul (NucNet): France may permanently shut up to 17 nuclear reactor units by 2025 to achieve its target of reducing the share of nuclear power in the generation mix from around 75% to 50%, environment minister Nicolas Hulot said in an interview with radio network RTL on 10 July 2017. “When it was confirmed that the share of nuclear would be 50%, everyone understood that to achieve this objective we would need to close a number of reactors,” Mr Hulot said. “It may be up to 17 reactors we have to look at.” Mr Hulot said on 6 July 2017 that the new administration of president Emmanuel Macron wants to meet the country’s commitment to reduce the share of nuclear energy in electricity output to 50% by 2025. Unveiling proposals for the country’s energy transition, Mr Hulot said cutting electricity generated by nuclear power remained France’s objective. The 50% target was set by the August 2015 energy transition law. According to International Atomic Energy Agency statistics, France’s 58 commercial nuclear units accounted for 72.28% of the country’s electricity mix in 2016, down from 77.5% in 2014. In his interview with RTL Mr Hulot did not name the units that would shut.