Summary

France’s Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor, its most powerful at 1,600 MW, was connected to the grid on December 21 after 17 years of construction plagued by delays and budget overruns.

The European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), designed to boost nuclear energy post-Chernobyl, is 12 years behind schedule and cost €13.2 billion, quadruple initial estimates.

President Macron hailed the launch as a key step for low-carbon energy and energy security.

Nuclear power, which supplies 60% of France’s electricity, is central to Macron’s plan for a “nuclear renaissance.”

    • einkorn
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      23
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      5 months ago

      French nuclear energy is so heavily subsidised by the state that direct comparison seams hardly fair

            • Ice@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              Yet the prior means that France is one of the least carbon intensive economies in the world. Each German unit of GDP has twice the CO2 emissions compared to France.

            • Saleh
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              Germany has mostly old coal. Gas is relatively new. I totally agree that Germany needs to do more for its renewable production, like many other European countries need to do. However on a cost per energy level, renewables are beating all other production methods currently known.

        • einkorn
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          5 months ago

          Even worse then. Costs per kWH Solar have been sinking faster than some Russian battleships.

            • einkorn
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              4 months ago

              What’s your point? Solar getting cheaper and cheaper has nothing to do with Germany. Our booming solar industry got axed by conservatives years ago.

                • einkorn
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  2
                  ·
                  4 months ago

                  So? Germany pays the same price for solar panels as everyone else. The cost of solar energy is sinking everywhere.

    • Forester@yiffit.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      Don’t you understand line must go up, quarterly profits now consequences never .what the fuck is a long-term investment. Get that ideology out of my power plant this instant. /S