For decades, France has been a unique example of a country that has based its energy policy almost entirely on nuclear power. It is thanks to this that the country has become one of the most energy-independent nations in Europe and a world leader in the use of nuclear technology for civilian energy.
The decision to develop nuclear energy was made in France in the 1970s, in response to the global oil crisis. The government at the time adopted the principle of "tout nucléaire" - meaning - "everything based on the atom". The nuclear program aimed to make the country independent of energy resource imports and ensure a stable electricity supply. The losses caused by the 1973-1974 oil crisis were not to be repeated, at least in the context of energy.
Within a few decades, France built an extensive network of nuclear power plants, mostly based on Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology. Currently, the country has 56 reactors located at 18 power plants, making France the second largest producer of nuclear energy in the world – after the United States.
France is held up as a global model of well-managed nuclear energy. The system is rather failure-free, with no major incidents reported.
No, with good management the risk is essentially marginal. In France, despite so many reactors, there has never been a catastrophe, apart from minor, non-hazardous incidents. The topic of potential danger associated with a nuclear power plant explosion or similar phenomena is practically non-existent in everyday life. Society is concerned with other matters and, in summary, a repeat of Chernobyl on the Seine is essentially impossible.
✅ Why? The answer is simple, the nuclear system in France is very well managed. 85% of the costs associated with power plant administration goes towards ensuring reactor safety. For comparison, in Soviet power plants, including Chernobyl, only 5% of costs went to safety, which explains a lot.
Approximately 70% of total electricity production in France comes from nuclear power plants. This is the highest percentage in Europe and one of the highest in the world. Thanks to this, France has maintained relatively low electricity prices for many years and can export its surplus to neighboring countries, including Germany, Italy, and Belgium. France not only has very cheap energy, but it also earns money from selling electricity - a very expensive and deficit "commodity" in times of energy crisis. France did not become dependent on anyone's gas, coal, or any other raw material supplied from outside. Germany, on the other hand, took that path; not only did they shut down their nuclear reactors (the last ones in 2023) but they also made their energy system dependent on Moscow, for which they paid a heavy price.
Currently, Germany, after shutting down its nuclear power plants, has electricity prices twice as high as France's. The move away from nuclear power caused a huge crisis in Germany; industry without cheap energy became uncompetitive, factories halted, and began to reduce employment. Due to the lack of energy, Berlin started importing energy... from France. Germany dismantled its nuclear power, and then, lacking other prospects, began buying energy from nuclear power plants in France. This is incredible, considering that their nuclear power plants were still operational at the time of shutdown and the reasons for shutdown were purely ideological.
Germany wanted to show the world that nuclear power could be replaced by wind turbines and photovoltaics. Did it work? In certain weather conditions, it's not too bad. However, for example, in 2022, Berlin resembled a night-time capital of darkness due to energy shortages. It did not resemble the capital of a rich country, but rather evoked associations with a North Korean satrapy.
One number that sums it all up - in 1992, Germany (after reunification) generated 498 TWh of energy. Today - after more than 30 years - they are unable to achieve that; in 2023 they produced only 87% of that value. This is a catastrophe that has triggered an economic crisis unlike any Germany has seen in years.
Meanwhile, France has energy surpluses, cheap energy, which it gladly exports. The energy crisis is practically an opportunity, not a problem. Nuclear energy means energy sovereignty. And energy crises stem from dependence on other energy sources and - let's be honest - from irrational, ideological, climate-related decisions.
Learn more about the behind-the-scenes situation in Germany and the nuclear phase-out, how it happened and what it led to, in the article below:
It is worth recalling that Berlin, which is considered the most influential capital in Europe, had certain ambitions before 2022 to design the energy system in Europe based on Russian gas. Berlin, in this scenario, was to be the gas hub for Europe, and Russian gas was to flow to Germany via the Baltic Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2, built with German funds. An informal German-Russian agreement, protested by Eastern Europe and the USA, assumed that Moscow would supply cheap gas, and Germany would use its influence in Europe to push through gas as the basic energy fuel.
In this scenario, the European Union under the informal leadership of Germany was to force other countries to switch to gas, which would then be resold by Germany, of course with a markup. Using its influence in the European Commission, Germany enforced such assumptions - the European Union pushed through the obligation for transformation based on gas. (For the record, it abandoned this later, but only when it became clear that the German plan had failed, Nord Stream 2 was not launched - and further cooperation with Russia had to be ended under public pressure after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army).
What about France? How did it relate to Germany's plans? Germany even voluntarily shut down its nuclear power plants first - motivated by ecological ideology and safety, but many experts note that an additional aspect was also the desire to encourage other countries, like France, to take similar actions, setting an example that would eventually be picked up by anti-nuclear organizations and the progressive part of society, which over time would influence the change in sentiment of French society regarding nuclear power.
France, however, was not interested in restructuring its energy system. As an important player in the EU, it decisively forced the European Commission to refrain from imposing limitations on nuclear energy. Moreover, Germany's energy disaster essentially confirmed to French society and authorities the validity of this model, although of course there are exceptions and anti-nuclear voices exist in France as well.
Despite impressive achievements, French nuclear energy faces many challenges today. Some reactors are over 40 years old, and their modernization or replacement requires huge financial outlays. Questions also arise about the management of radioactive waste and social acceptance for the further development of this technology - because the French, as a society with left-wing sympathies, are susceptible to ideological novelties.
However, the French government has announced the continuation of its pro-nuclear course. In 2022, President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan to build a new generation of EPR2 reactors and develop small modular reactors (SMRs) to complement the existing infrastructure. France wants to not only maintain its position in Europe this way but also export modern nuclear technologies to other countries.
Having an energy system based on nuclear power is also beneficial for other non-obvious reasons. 56 reactors meant the creation of a huge base of specialists and the redirection of research and development by firms and universities to this field. The French, alongside Koreans and Americans, are considered among the best specialists in the industry worldwide. France has developed its own solutions, which it gladly monetizes - by exporting them worldwide. It is French companies, large and small - thanks to experience gained on the Seine - that build nuclear power plants in many other countries and sign lucrative servicing contracts. It's worth knowing this - having a nuclear energy industry means the creation of a high-specialization sector in the country and an increase in the country's technological level, which can also be profitable.
France has for years been one of the world's largest exporters of nuclear technologies; thanks to experience, French companies – such as EDF and Framatome – participate in projects to build and modernize reactors in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The French model of nuclear energy is valued for its high safety standards, reliability, and proven Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) technology. France is also actively promoting the development of modern EPR reactors and the concept of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which are set to revolutionize the global nuclear energy market. In this way, French know-how becomes not only a pillar of national energy independence but also one of the state's main export commodities. France's nuclear know-how is an exclusive and sought-after commodity, like the best French wine.
Unlike many other European countries, France uses relatively small amounts of natural gas and coal for electricity production - but these resources are also part of the energy mix. Their share is one of the lowest in Europe – collectively, it does not exceed a few percent. Gas-fired power plants mainly serve as a backup, activated during periods of increased demand for energy or during nuclear reactor outages.
Incidentally, France is also very independent in the field of gas, although it has almost no gas reserves of its own. However, it has 5 LNG terminals, which essentially allows for imports from any country. Sources include the USA, Qatar, Norway, Algeria. Once upon a time, also Russia - but today, due to the political situation after 2022, France no longer uses Russian gas.
Coal-based energy production has been almost completely phased out – in 2023, only a few individual coal-fired power plants remained operational, temporarily maintained for energy security reasons. France plans to completely phase out coal in the coming years and treats natural gas only as a transitional energy source in the transformation process. Thanks to this, the country remains one of the least emissive electricity systems in Europe. Ecology is important in France, and at the same time, this coincides with the depletion of many coal resources in former industrial regions.
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Although nuclear energy remains the foundation of the French energy system, France is also consistently developing renewable energy sources. In recent years, the government in Paris has been intensively investing in photovoltaics, wind energy – both onshore and offshore – and in the modernization of hydroelectric power plants. The goal is to diversify the energy mix and reduce dependence on nuclear power in the long term. It is worth noting, however, that in France, RES constitutes an addition to the energy mix, not its foundation. The pillar of energy is nuclear power, and this is almost a dogma on the Seine.
Currently, RES account for even about 25% of electricity production in France, and their share is systematically growing. The authorities aim to increase the share flexibly, to be prepared for periods when RES underperform (as we know, it is not a stable energy source and depends in many cases on weather conditions). The coexistence of nuclear and renewable energy is considered the most realistic scenario for ensuring France's energy security, low greenhouse gas emissions, and stable energy supplies - while also calming the sentiments of the more pro-ecological part of society.
The French energy system is also significantly less emissive than in countries that still rely on coal or gas. Nuclear energy accounts for minimal carbon dioxide emissions, making it one of the key elements of the French strategy for climate neutrality. Of course, coal is also used in France, but as mentioned, it does not have a significant share.
France remains one of the few countries in the world that has based its energy system to such a large extent on nuclear power. Thanks to this, the country enjoys high energy independence and low CO₂ emissions, although at the same time it must face the challenges associated with modernizing its aging infrastructure.
Nuclear energy therefore remains not only a symbol of French technological prowess but also a key element of its energy future.
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