February 12, 2026, 4:35 p.mFebruary 12, 2026, 4:35 p.m
France wants to push ahead with the expansion of nuclear energy. The new strategy for the country’s energy supply envisages the construction of six new nuclear power plants from 2038 as well as the option to build eight more nuclear power plants.
France wants to push the expansion of nuclear energy.Image: IMAGO / CHROMORANGE
And in order to keep all 57 existing nuclear power plants online, the term is being extended to 50 or 60 years. The decommissioning of older nuclear reactors, which was still planned in the previous multi-year plan, is now off the table.
The production of nuclear power, which covers around two thirds of France’s electricity supply, is to be increased by 2030, said French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu when presenting the new strategy. France is the second largest producer of nuclear power after the USA and also exports it to Switzerland, among others.
According to the new strategic planning, the expansion of renewable energies should remain a second pillar of French energy supply, but in some cases should take place more slowly than previously planned. This is the case with offshore wind farms, where there is a lack of candidates for planned projects and the connection to the power grid must be guaranteed.
The expansion targets for onshore wind turbines, which are often met with resistance in France, are also being revised downwards. The focus should be on modernizing existing wind turbines.
The aim is to reduce the share of fossil energy sources in France’s supply from 58 percent in 2023 to 40 percent by 2030. (hkl/sda/awp/dpa)