world
February 25, 2021 – 21:12

The decision was expected, but was formalized only today. The Nuclear Safety Authority has announced its decision to extend the lifespan of old nuclear reactors in France by another 10 years.

Although the maximum age of a reactor is not included in any regulations, in their initial construction plans, their lifespan was planned for about 40 years.

In its statement the Nuclear Safety Authority suggests to the company EDF to make some repairs as well as tests to improve their safety.

32 reactors of about 900 megawatts are involved in this issue. Built in the late 70s and early 1980s, they are located in 8 plants scattered throughout France.

The Nuclear Safety Authority suggests to the EDF company to reduce the consequences of more serious accidents such as melting of the reactor core. Improvement work will be spread over several years and will represent colossal investments.

Opponents of nuclear power, such as Greenpeace, in turn demanded the closure of these old power plants. For this NGO, even renovated, they continue to remain a risk.

France today supplies about 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, which is a world record. The country aims to reduce this to 50 percent by 2035./eoronews