The French Nuclear Trap

For the last 50 years, France has generated 75% of its electricity through nuclear power – the only country in the world to do so. This dependence is now sending the state-owned company EDF towards bankruptcy. The new French EPR reactor has experienced many completion delays in Flamanville, France, and in Finland. The costs keep on rising and France is now spending tens of billions in a bid to master this excessively complex technology. So why has France approved the construction of two more EPRs in the UK at Hinkley Point despite fierce opposition even within EDF? An increasing number of countries are phasing out nuclear power, we still do not know how to decommission plants at the end of their lifespan and the cost of renewables is constantly falling. France is finding itself increasingly isolated in its pro-nuclear choices. These choices weigh very heavily on the State’s budget and mean that France is lagging extremely behind in the energy transition. Who will pay the bill for nuclear energy? A film written et directed by Patrick Benquet