French state utility and nuclear plant operator EDF says optimisation work is continuing as it aims to meet a 70-month construction time for its new generation of EPR2 nuclear power plants.

In an update posted by French nuclear society Sfen, EDF said it was was still working on a number of key projects to optimise the EPR2 construction schedule and make the target possible.

France’s most recent commercial reactor project, the Flamanville-3 EPR, was hit by years of delays and cost overruns and took 17 years from the start of construction to operation.