31 January 2012
France's state audit office has concluded that extending the operating lives of its existing nuclear power reactors would be its best option. The Cour des Comptes (Court of Audit), at the request of prime minister Francois Fillon, has released a report into the past, present and future costs of nuclear power in the country. France, the court estimated, has so far spent EUR 188 billion on nuclear energy. The total cost of building the facilities needed for nuclear electricity generation in France (excluding the cost of constructing the Superphenix commercial prototype fast breeder reactor) is put at EUR 121 billion. Of this, the cost of constructing the country's 58 second generation power reactors, with a combined generating capacity of 62,510Mwe, is estimated to be EUR 96 billion, while the initial investment needed to build the country's eight first generation reactors, which have already been shut down and are being decommissioned, is put at EUR 6 billion. The development of fuel cycle facilities, particularly reprocessing plants, cost France some EUR 19 billion. A further EUR 55 billion has so far been spent on research, while the construction, operation and shutdown of Superphenix cost EUR 12 billion.
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