France’s EDF raises nuclear production targets after corrosion crisis

This is the second time this year the energy company has raised its output expectations.

French energy firm EDF is forecasting nuclear production output at 358 to 364 terawatt-hours (TWh) this year, according to a statement published by the firm on Wednesday.

That’s an uptick from the previous forecast of 340 to 360 TWh – and marks the second time the range has been raised this year.

EDF cited a few reasons for the improved figure, such as better management of plant outages and facility repairs.

Under the direction of CEO Luc Rémont, EDF has worked in recent years to fix reactor corrosion issues.

Due to faulty equipment, French nuclear output dropped to its lowest level since the late 1980s in 2022.

The country’s so-called “corrosion crisis” came at an inopportune moment, as Europe found itself weaned off Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine.

From 2022 to 2023, EDF nonetheless managed to increase nuclear output by around 15%, according to data from LSEG and EnAppSys.

France is now expected to export record amounts of power this year – partially thanks to rebounding nuclear production.

EDF is also looking for a boost from a new reactor in Flamanville, northwestern France, which it hopes to connect to its network in the coming weeks.

Wednesday’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after Luc Rémont criticised French bureaucracy for holding up energy projects.

“It’s hell to invest in France for regulatory reasons … The administrative delays just can’t be compared with what we experience in other parts of the world,” said Rémont, speaking at the French electricity union (UFE) annual conference.

“And it’s not just renewables; it’s hell to connect an industrial user or a data centre to the electricity grid,” he added.

France hopes to hit its target of being target neutral by 2050, a goal that is arguably complicated by these administrative burdens.