The Fessenheim-1 nuclear power plant in France will be permanently shut down as scheduled on 22 February followed by Fessenheim-2 in June, French prime minister Edouard Philippe confirmed on Wednesday.Fessenheim-1 and -2 are both 880-MW pressurised water reactor units which began commercial operation in 1978. This makes them the oldest reactor units still operational in the French nuclear fleet.In September French state-controlled utility EDF submitted an application to the national nuclear regulator ASN and the French government for the permanent shutdown of the two-unit Fessenheim station near Colmar in northeast France.