Closure of Fessenheim nuclear power plant

EDF has submitted an application to the regulator and to France’s minister in charge of the energy and solidarity transition, in which it has requested approval for the termination of operations and permanent shutdown of both reactors at Fessenheim nuclear power plant (NPP). The shutdown of reactor no. 1 is planned for the 22nd of February 2020, whilst the shutdown of reactor no. 2 is planned for the 30th of June of the same year.

This submission follows on from the signing, on the 27th of September 2019, by the State and by EDF, of a protocol agreement whereby the State will compensate EDF for the early closure of Fessenheim NPP, resulting from the limitation of nuclear power output set by a law passed on the 17th of August 2015, pertaining to the energy transition in support of green growth.

According to the terms of this protocol, compensation will comprise:

• Initial instalments to compensate for expenses incurred by the closure of the plant (post-operational expenditure, BNI taxes, dismantling and staff redeployment costs), which will be paid over a 4-year period following closure of the plant. These payments are expected to amount to a total of nearly 400 million Euros
• Subsequent payments in compensation for any loss of earnings, i.e. income from future power generation, based on Fessenheim’s previous output figures, up until 2041, calculated “ex post” on the basis of nuclear output selling prices, including observed market prices.

With these arrangements in place, EDF has been able to rationalise the redeployment of the station’s personnel, within the scope of the agreement signed on the 17th of May 2018 between the company and the trade-union organisations.

Jean-Bernard Lévy, EDF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer "I would like to celebrate the efforts of Fessenheim personnel and contract staff, who have continued to operate our facility safely while maintaining extremely high levels of performance. I have already ensured them that the company holds them in high esteem and that they will continue to receive all the company’s support during the redeployment process."