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French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said Friday that French electricity giant EDF has pledged to restart all of its nuclear reactors by this winter to help the country overcome a broad energy crisis exacerbated by the situation around Ukraine, AP reported.
Pannier-Runacher said the government is taking steps to avoid restrictive measures on energy use during the peak winter cold, following a special government meeting on energy.
France uses nuclear power to produce about 67 percent of its electricity, more than any other country and about 7 percent of its gas.
Currently, 32 of the 56 French nuclear reactors operated by EDF are shut down for routine maintenance and, in some cases, to fix corrosion problems.
There is a schedule that stipulates that starting in October, every week a new nuclear plant will start working again, the minister said.
On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne warned that the worst-case scenario this winter could lead to permanent two-hour power outages in French homes.
The government will closely monitor the situation at nuclear power plants, which have reported corrosion problems. EDF has started to take action, and they need to confirm to us that everything is going as they planned, Pannier-Runacher said.
In June, France unveiled an energy sobriety plan to cut energy consumption by 10 percent by 2024.
The measure comes amid fears that Russia could cut off gas supplies and that imports of liquefied natural gas would not be enough to meet Europe’s energy needs.
Pannier-Runacher said the country’s strategic gas reserves are 92 percent full.
In addition, electricity and gas trade with neighboring Spain and Germany will intensify this winter, she said.
