"This decision was taken without any public consultation, open
bidding or analysis of energy needs. It has no justification other
than to provide a massive contract to the state-owned nuclear
industry, which has a poor safety and environmental record," said
Jan Beránek, Greenpeace International Energy Campaigner. "In these
times of fiscal crisis it is crucial to make the right choices -
and investment instead in renewable energy would provide not only
climate protection and cleaner energy, but more and better jobs and
a truly sustainable state infrastructure."
Two ongoing EPR construction projects - in Olkiluoto, Finland,
and Flamanville, France - have already been hampered by chronic
problems, delays and cost overruns. The reactor in Finland was
originally planned to be finished by April 2009, but now faces at
least three years' delay. Its cost has already doubled to over €5
billion. Serious construction and safety problems have been
identified, but the industry has not learned anything from the
experience. The very same mistakes have plagued the second EPR
construction that started only a year ago, but which is already
delayed by nine months and running at 20% over its budget.
"No other options, such as energy efficiency or renewable energy
potential, have been considered. No comparisons have been made with
the Penly reactor in terms of costs, environmental impacts, needs
and other aspects," added Yannick Rousselet, Greenpeace France.
"The official study analysing France's electricity needs beyond
2020, which was launched late last year, is still ongoing so there
is nothing to justify this step of building a new EPR. On the
contrary, the decision to pour vast amounts of money into building
another problematic reactor sidetracks plans for the expansion of
clean, renewable energy that will be crucial for France and enable
it to achieve EU targets for 2020."
France is already the largest exporter of electricity in Europe,
with a net annual export of 60 TWh, equivalent to four large
reactors.
Nuclear energy undermines the solutions to climate change by
diverting urgently needed resources away from the true renewable
and energy efficiency solutions. Greenpeace's Energy [R]evolution blueprint shows that
renewable energy, and greater energy efficiency can deliver half of
the world's energy needs by 2050, without nuclear power.
Other contacts: Jan Beránek, Greenpeace International, +31 651 109 558
Yannick Rousselet, Greenpeace France, +33 685 806 559