French grid operator RTE has announced that next-generation nuclear reactors may be a viable way from France to meet its energy needs even as it aims for carbon neutrality by 2050. The report published the RTE will help inform President Emmanuel Macron in the decision to build new reactors, even is at looks at other methods to supply electricity.
Macron is expected to announce the construction of six new EPR pressurised water reactors by the end of this year. Nuclear energy could provide a more reliable alternative for carbon neutral energy, more so than most of the traditional alternatives, RTE said. France is also expected to endorse nuclear energy as a green power alternative at the European Union's sustainable finance rules.
New thermal power plants that utilise carbon-free gases, such as "green hydrogen" which is produced through the use of renewable energy, can also be used in order to meet rising consumption forecasts, the operator said. France already operates a fleet of nuclear reactors.
Response to the announcement has been mixed with some environmental groups decrying the promotion of nuclear power while the French Green party members described the report as one-sided and an attempt to justify new nuclear projects while disregarding consumption control. measures.