Overview
- The Autorité de sûreté nucléaire et de radioprotection granted a fourth periodic safety review authorizing 20 EDF reactors to run beyond their original 40-year lifespan.
- The extension covers 1,300 MW units at Belleville-sur-Loire, Cattenom, Flamanville 1 and 2, Golfech, Nogent-sur-Seine, Paluel, Penly and Saint-Alban/Saint-Maurice.
- EDF will update design studies or replace critical equipment and carry out site modifications through 2040 to align older reactors with modern safety standards.
- Reactor-by-reactor evaluations will begin at Paluel in early 2026, each subject to a public inquiry and an annual transparency report.
- These 20 reactors generate over 40 percent of France’s nuclear electricity, bolstering the country’s low-carbon mix and energy independence strategy.