France’s oldest nuclear power plant is now closed

THE FESSENHEIM NUCLEAR PLANT (GRAND EST) CLOSED YESTERDAY (JUNE 29), CAUSING CONTROVERSY AMONG LOCAL RESIDENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE PROTESTERS BOTH FOR AND AGAINST NUCLEAR POWER. The plant has

been in operation for 43 years, but on Monday night (June 29) electricity provider _EDF_ disconnected the second reactor from the national grid, closing the plant completely. The first

reactor was used for the last time on February 22, 2020. It is expected that it could take up to 15 years to dismantle the two reactors at Fessenheim, beginning with removing the radioactive

combustible. This step should be complete by 2023. It is thought that further dismantlement could then begin in 2025, and continue until at least 2040. READ MORE: FRANCE’S OLDEST NUCLEAR

POWER STATION STARTS SHUTDOWN READ MORE: HOW GREEN IS YOUR ELECTRICITY IN FRANCE? JOY AND SADNESS OVER CLOSURE The closure of the site comes as good news for those living nearby (in France,

Germany and Switzerland) who are against the use of nuclear power for environmental reasons. However, it has caused divisions within the environmental community, with some arguing that

nuclear power stations benefit the environment on the basis that electricity produced by Fessenheim will be replaced by electricity produced by a coal-powered plant in Germany. Last night

pro-nuclear climate protesters gathered outside Greenpeace headquarters in Paris (Ile-de-France) to voice their disapproval over the closure of the site. > “Less nuclear means more coal”.

 In front of @greenpeace HQ in > Paris tonight to protest against the shutdown of the #Fessenheim low > carbon nuclear plant, a few days after Germany has started a new > coal plant

 at #Datteln @voixdunucleaire pic.twitter.com/TuBHY7bn4L > — Nuclear for Climate (@Nuclear4Climate) June 29, 2020 The closure has also been opposed by the 2,500 inhabitants of the town of

Fessenheim, who rely on the plant for economic purposes. In 2017, the plant employed 750 people and 300 service providers, but only 60 EDF employees will be needed up to 2024 to dismantle

the plant. A trade union for workers, CGT Fessenheim, tweeted: “This situation is like an economic, social and ecological genocide. Sending strength to the employees of Fessenheim.” NO PLANS

FOR SITE AFTER CLOSURE While there are no official plans for the land on which the plant currently stands, it has been suggested that the plant may become a decontamination plant for

radioactive metals, or a biofuel factory. President of the Grand-Est region, Jean Rottner, has complained that the government closed the site without confirming a replacement project. He

EXPECTS that the first businesses may not emerge on the site until “the end of 2021, running into 2022”. Meanwhile, he said that “more than 60%” of the 750 former Fessenheim employees have

been successfully redeployed elsewhere, and almost two-thirds of service providers are enrolled on professional training courses. FRANCE COMMITTED TO REDUCING NUCLEAR ENERGY USE The site is

being closed as part of a French commitment to reducing nuclear production of electricity to 50% by 2035. Reaching this target is likely to mean that 14 nuclear reactors will need to close

in France, with 6 closing before 3030. This includes the two reactors at Fessenheim. The closure was originally announced by François Holland when he was president, with the target again

confirmed by President Macron during his election campaign in 2017. Other nuclear plants have also been dismantled in France, such as one at Brennilis in Finistère (Brittany). However no

plants of the same type as Fessenheim - which used water pressure systems - have been completely dismantled so far. RELATED STORIES FRANCE TO DOUBLE NUMBER OF WIND TURBINES GREENS SURGE TO

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