PARIS—France’s nuclear-safety watchdog ordered immediate upgrades to nuclear reactors to guard against natural disasters, which Électricité de France SA said could require €10 billion, or roughly $13 billion, in additional costs.
In a review following last year’s Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire concluded that no plants needed to be shut down immediately but that steps should be taken as “soon as possible” to improve safety at France’s 58 reactors.
Tuesday’s 500-page report was the latest sign of how the post-Fukushima environment is posing new regulatory challenges for nuclear power globally. The issue is particularly charged in France, which gets 75% of its power from nuclear energy. The ASN report, which came amid debate on nuclear power ahead of the French presidential election in May, also raised the issue of who will foot the bill for the upgrades.
Continue reading at EDF Pegs Nuclear Upgrade Cost at $13 Billion
