Gov’t pushing ambitious plans for up to 14 new-generation nuclear reactors
The French government has authorised state-owned power company and nuclear operator EDF to begin preparatory work for the construction of two EPR2 reactors at the Gravelines nuclear power station in northern France.
Under a decree published in the Official Journal of the French Republic, the authorisation grants EDF the environmental authorisation to start site preparation work for the EPR2 reactors.
Work will include the establishment of construction facilities, the relocation of a rail terminal near the existing Gravelines nuclear power plant site, earthworks, preparation of a foundation area, ground reinforcement, initial civil engineering works and the construction of an intake channel.
The authorisation also provides for the relocation of protected fauna and flora and the construction of a new public information centre.
Most of the work will take place in the municipalities of Gravelines and Longs-Plage, with the exception of a car park to the south of the site in Bourbourg.
EDF said in a statement that the authorisation allows it to gradually begin operations aimed at preparing the site for the planned project.
The company said the authorisation “does not constitute authorisation to create the two EPR2 reactors and does not permit the construction of buildings intended to house nuclear materials or equipment needed for nuclear safety”.
Macron’s Nuclear Target
The authorisation comes more than four years after president Emmanuel Macron announced plans to build six new-generation EPR2 nuclear reactors, with an option for eight more.
The sites chosen for the first three pairs of units are Penly in Normandy, Gravelines and Bugey, in southeastern France.
A final investment decision on the construction of the six new EPR2 reactors is expected by the end of 2026. The first pair of reactors, at Penly, could come online around 2038.
EDF has already submitted an application for authorisation to build the two EPR2 plants at Penly.
Macron said earlier this year that the world cannot achieve decarbonisation, energy independence, and economic competitiveness without nuclear energy.
France operates 56 commercial reactors units, providing about 70% of the country’s electric generation, the highest percentage in the world, ahead of Slovakia and Hungary in second and third place.
The newest unit, the 57th, is the Flamanville-3 EPR, which was connected to the grid in December 2024 after years of delays and cost overruns. It reached full power in December 2025, but has not yet begun commercial operation.
