France extends lifetime of 32 nuclear reactors to increase energy efficiency

The French Nuclear Safety Authority, on February 25, agreed to extend the operational lifetime of the country’s 32 oldest nuclear reactors by a decade to as much as 50 years. The reactors are run by electricity firm EDF, which is responsible for ensuring its safety. France is highly dependent on nuclear energy for electricity, deriving 70 per cent of the total from reactors.

The nuclear authority said in a statement that it finds that measures planned by EDF "open the prospect of continued operation of these reactors for a further ten years.”

German minister concerned 

However, the decision has been called out by Germany’s environment minister who said that he was “very concerned”. “I respect the principle of national energy sovereignty, but I'm very concerned about the increasing superannuation of European nuclear power plants. This includes the old French reactors,'' Svenja Schulze said in a statement on Thursday. Last year, France shut its oldest nuclear plant in Fessenheim, on the border with Germany, which had been supplying electricity since 1977. The government has outlined plans for 12 more reactor closures.

Meanwhile, in another bid to solve Europe's energy problem, the Danish Parliament approved a plan to build the world’s first energy island in the North Sea that would not only produce, but also store greenhouse energy. With the creation of the artificial island about 80 kilometres from the shore of the peninsula Jutland, Denmark is now aiming to provide electricity to over three million European households. Located in northern Europe, the Nordic nation has the highest proportion of wind power in the world, which it is now channelizing to meet energy needs.

Read: Denmark To Create 'energy Island' In North Sea, Would Provide Electricity To 3 Mn People

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The ‘energy hub’, which is currently in its initial phase, will be the size of 18 football fields and would cost a whopping sum of 210 billion Danish crowns. It would be joint ownership between the Danish administration and Private enterprises. It will be linked to hundreds of offshore wind turbines and will supply both powers to households and green hydrogen for use in shipping, aviation, industry and heavy transport.

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(With inputs from Associated Press)