The French Nuclear Safety Authority said this week that the country’s 32 plants, each with capacity of 900 MW, built mostly in the 1980s, would be allowed to operate for another decade, taking their potential lifespan to 50 years from the initially planned 40. Doing that would also be possible in Germany, to keep the remaining six reactors working beyond the original exit date at the end of 2022.
The first seven French reactors to have their lifetime extended, are Bugey (Ain), Blayais (Gironde), Chinon (Indre-et-Loire), Cruas (Ardèche), Dampierre (Loiret), Gravelines (Nord), Saint-Laurent (Loir-et-Cher) and Tricastin (Drôme).
