Find below a Google Translation og the article related on reuters & bbg about frecnh nuclear power...positive for EDF as mentionned earlier
MAINTENANCE Ségolène Royal, the Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, discusses the law of energy transition, the future of nuclear and business involvement in the fight against global warming.
January 8, Segolene Royal, the Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, meets "L'Usine Nouvelle". The meeting, scheduled to last an hour, will be shortened, emergency forces. Twenty-four hours after the shooting of "Charlie Hebdo", the minister is about to receive transport operators in the Vigipirate statement in "attack alert". From the outset, the Minister announced a "horror reaction of deep sadness and at the same time, will." "Do not be in fear, consternation or paralyzed, she says. Let the power of the response of the Republic and freedom. It is shown how the French people reacts and mobilizes . There was an awareness, healthy and comforting, the key is in. and that this essential defends collectively. "
Our interview with Ségolène Royal door especially on the energy transition. Minister repeat several times: it has succeeded in passing the first reading, a law that many say impossible. To achieve this, she was able to stand up to Europe Ecology - The Greens who asked to commit to phasing out nuclear power. She is pragmatic rather than ideological, she insists. Minister regrets that many large measures of energy transition law are not known to the general public. It evokes the possibility for communities and individuals, autoconsommer production of electricity from photovoltaic panels. The law provides for a "controlled development and secure facilities for consuming all or part of their electricity production."
Another subject close to his heart, the deployment of the conversion premium (of up to 10,000 euros) to replace a diesel vehicle over thirteen years by a rechargeable electric or hybrid vehicle.
L'Usine Nouvelle - President of the Republic has left some doubt during his interview earlier this year on France Inter, about the date of closure of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant. When does it close? In 2016?
Ségolène Royal - If I have managed to vote in the Assembly Energy Transition Act, it is because I have chosen three options. The first was not to oppose the energies to one another and to affirm from the start, despite some reluctance, that history and the French know-how in the nuclear part of our strengths ... Second, without opposing energies, we must still get out of "all nuclear" because it is our national interest. The rise of renewable energy must be accelerated and that is one of the EDF and the French energy major missions. Third, the law caps the nuclear capacity to 63.2 gigawatts ...
The plants will still close ...
Yes but it is not close to close, not by ideology. It is a solid legislative base. This is also the first time that Parliament has debated nuclear power. Before, decisions were made in secret. Now this is a major democratic debate. The limit on nuclear power means that when the Flamanville EPR reactor in the Channel will open two more will have to close. At this point, it is Fessenheim since there are no other proposals on the table.
But she will close the end of 2016 as planned?
We will close the reactors as soon as the Flamanville EPR open [not before 2017 according to the latest EDF schedule, note]. This is an operation that must plan and organize because it does not happen overnight. My bill clearly defines the steps: Eighteen months before the commissioning of the new plant, EDF will commit to close another to meet the cap, and then it will be officially recorded by decree.
EDF plans a major refit to prolong the life of French nuclear reactors. Do you support these investments?
When making an investment of this size [55 billion euros according to EDF, ed] on the power plants, think the whole energy model. There is the issue of end of life plants. But there is also that of their lifetime. I did not put in the law on the energy transition limitation forty years as environmentalists wanted. This is not a good way to proceed vis-à-vis our industry. Internationally, it would be too ideological ax. Some plants can live longer. Part of the refit was adopted by EDF's Board of Directors with my agreement. We must now program of existing reactors security investments. But we must also program the construction of a new generation of reactors, which will take the place of the old plants when they will no longer be updated.
So keep a nuclear future in France ...
Nuclear energy is an asset, although questions remain about waste management and supply of uranium. It allows us to achieve energy transition, because, as I said in the National Assembly, it provides energy security. At the same time, it would be against-productive for EDF to let him believe that there is an established situation, it is not responsible to imagine its future. When you are in a monopoly position, it is often more difficult to envisage changes ... but no company in its own interest, can not escape. I know the quality of engineers, technicians and workers EDF allows him to imagine. My responsibility is to push EDF to look at the future, to continue to perform well while opening up to new sectors. Since Fukushima global nuclear demand has fallen, although in building a low-carbon economy, nuclear power is an obvious asset ... Think nuclear application intelligently in a context of energy mix. EDF should come within a diverse energy supply. It must be able to sell to Poland's nuclear but also renewable.
Yes, but France is far behind in terms of renewable energies ...
France was at the forefront of photovoltaic in the 1970s! Because the choice of any nuclear at that time, there was no necessary investments in these sectors. We overtaken by other countries. Proponents of renewable energy have been marginalized. We must not repeat that mistake, especially since we have companies large and small, high-performance in these niches.
Technostructure and base EDF still very pro-nuclear ...
Yes ... but that's changing, because with the energy transition, EDF has understood that it has huge potential. It's positive that it participates and wins tenders in offshore wind, and the company can further engage. By partnerships, for example, with GDF Suez. Is it logical that two major French energy companies to compete on major international tenders? The national interest to ensure that our major energy pooling research laboratories. The next energy revolution concerns the storage of energy. We must not miss. France must be the first to invent the technology. This requires heavy investment. Energy companies have an incentive to invest collectively.
You have repeatedly said that the industry is essential to the success of the summit Climate Paris 2015 (COP 21). What do you put in place for manufacturers become more involved?
Commitments industrial are very important. France plays his card and Europe too. At the summit in New York in September 2014, Barack Obama was reached on the issue of "green business". If companies are engaged in green growth and energy transition, it will generate turnover and additional activities 100 000 jobs in three years. Their mobilization is critical that we take advantage of the new global economy. Of the 34 Plans of New France industrial, set up by the President of the Republic, eleven relate to the industries of the future of the energy transition. There are creative reserves, innovation and productivity in the building, in renewable energy, clean transport and circular economy. The link between the digital and the energy is also essential for energy performance, notably with the meters and smart grids. Reconciling economy and ecology, it is the challenge of green growth.
How to mobilize large energy companies?
They are mobilized and they are there at all major events. Proof of this is this year's Davos summit focuses exclusively on climate. And I will be ...
What are your solutions to improve the air quality in the city? The example of Japan that came out of diesel in ten years you it seems transposable to France?
Yes, that is what was said by the Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, fence last environmental conference. Hence the conversion premium of EUR 10 000 to change its old diesel vehicle electric vehicle. It will be available very soon and we will deploy seven million charging points. We have the tools. We can multiply the own public transport including the new tram models without footprint. I want to speed things up.
Is a congestion charge for polluting vehicles?
The traffic problem must be solved with a global project. This does not pass through a toll restricting access to the rich cities and businesses who can pay. Take into account the rules, rights and duties, the polluter pays, alternative means to everyone. Cities have managed to reconcile all this.
Do not you think that the yards of Notre-Dame-des-Landes, dam Sivens, the Lyon-Turin and landfill Cigéo of nuclear waste Bure (Meuse) deserve another form of public debate ?
Last year, 80% of the development and infrastructure issues have not been the subject of any litigation. When things around, it is negative for everyone. Therefore, I will modernize procedures and reduce delays. We need alternative projects can be studied and debated publicly. We must listen to citizens, answering questions from the start, to better involve the making of decisions that affect them and guarantee solutions of the general interest. By applying the principles and methodology of participatory democracy, it is necessary to argue and we act more effectively.