With France ramping up its nuclear ambitions, President Emmanuel Macron is leading a policy council to accelerate support for innovative small nuclear reactor projects and secure long-term energy independence for the country.
The council meeting on Monday will also address uranium supply, amidst a global resurgence in nuclear energy.
This marks the fourth assembly since Macron underscored that nuclear power – a low-carbon energy source – is central to France's strategy for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change in a speech in the Alsatian city of Belfort in 2022.
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The French president plans to deliver a progress update on Small Modular Reactors or SMRs, as he believes them to be fundamental to France's energy strategy, aiming to commission two new plants in France by 2030.
As things stand, more than a dozen individual projects have come to the fore in France, showcasing the country's drive towards the development of nuclear technology.
The council intends to evaluate the ventures based on recent reports into fuel and site constraints, identifying projects with the highest potential for swift completion and impact on the French electricity grid.
The goal is to ultimately direct state financial support to select projects.
Next generation reactors
Also in the spotlight are plans to build six state of the art EPR2 reactors, with the aim of kickstarting financing talks with the European Commission as soon as possible.
The second generation European pressurised reactors are nuclear generators designed to be safer, more efficient and easier to build than their predecessor – the EPR – while maintaining high power output and low carbon emissions.
The Elysée Palace has pointed to Brussels' recent green light for the Czech Dukovany power station – secured largely through a zero-interest state loan – as an example France could follow.
At the same time, the council will tackle the rising demand for uranium, the essential fuel powering nuclear reactors, as the sector experiences renewed momentum.
With key suppliers based in Canada, Africa and Central Asia, ensuring a secure, long-term uranium supply is paramount.
French companies – Orano in particular – will need the right tools and strategies to safeguard the nation's energy future, in light of the collapse of French influence in the Sahel region of Africa, specifically in uranium-rich Niger.
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While current stocks are sufficient, forward planning for the next 20 to 30 years will be crucial to maintaining France’s energy sovereignty.
Paris's push for nuclear innovation is a core element of France’s wider climate ambitions, building on the country’s ongoing public consultations for France's national low-carbon strategy and multi-annual energy programme – both of which are key stepping stones on the path towards the aim of carbon neutrality by 2050.
