Fessenheim: reactor shutdown endorsed in the “Official Journal”

Text by: RFI Follow

The decree confirming the total and final shutdown of the reactors at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant was published in the "Official Journal" this Wednesday, February 19, thus marking the first step towards the final closure of the oldest nuclear power plant in France.

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" A first step in France's energy strategy " welcomed by the government. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and the Minister of Ecological Transition, Élisabeth Borne, signed on Tuesday, February 18, the decree formalizing the total and final shutdown of the reactors of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant, commissioned in 1977. Published in the Official Journal ce Wednesday, it " comes into force on February 22, 2020 for reactor 1 and on June 30, 2020 for reactor 2 ". The dismantling of the infrastructure will take place until 2040 at the earliest.

Announced and rejected several times by previous governments , this ruling " constitutes a first step in France's energy strategy, which aims at a progressive rebalancing between nuclear electricity and renewable electricity while pursuing the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production thanks to the closure of coal-fired power plants by 2022, ”rejoiced Matignon.

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The Fessenheim judgment is part of the government 's plan to increase the share of nuclear power in French electricity production from 75% to 50%. Today, France's nuclear fleet is the second largest in the world, after the United States. Of the 58 reactors in France today, an additional 12 are to be shut down by 2035, but Fessenheim is the only plant that will shut down completely.

The future of the region

Based in Alsace, on the border between France, Germany and not far from Switzerland, the Fessenheim plant employed around 2,000 people. Local elected officials in this region, one of the poorest and least well-endowed in terms of industry in Alsace, are worried about seeing these jobs disappear.

" The State is not at the rendezvous ," denounced the deputy LR of the Haut-Rhin and president of the fact-finding mission on the monitoring of the closure of the site, Raphaël Schellenberger. He also alerted on " the consequences for the territory " in terms of jobs, trade and real estate. A meeting is already set for Saturday, February 22 at the foot of the power station to call the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, has ensured the transition of the territory.

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" The government engaged in 2018 with local elected officials in the preparation of a land project for the future of Fessenheim, finalized in February 2019, " replied Matignon, before renewing " government support for the full realization of the actions of this project ”.

A plant contested for years

" This power plant is bedridden, this power plant is dangerous, it's been a long time since it should have closed, " exclaimed the president of the Stop Fessenheim association, André Hatz. Criticized for years, the plant has become the symbol of the anti-nuclear fight, especially after the Fukushima disaster of 2011.

Despite the many reasons to close the #Fessenheim power plant as soon as possible, it took 8 years!

How many times will it still take to close the other obsolete and dangerous power stations and to accompany the eco conversion. regions? https: //t.co/Z7nC9zqHQS

No way, however, for the anti-nuclear to celebrate the event, they will be satisfied with a press conference. " This is just a point of progress, there are still a lot of dangers linked to the closure: for at least three years, the nuclear fuel will remain stored in the decontamination pools, which are non-bunkered and whose roofs are a simple sheet metal roof, ”recalls Mr. Hatz.

( with AFP )

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