France’s 5th Nuclear Policy Council (CPN – Conseil Politique Nucléaire) has confirmed the energy policy directions taken by President Emmanuel Macron to guarantee France’s energy independence by moving away from fossil fuels. Following previous nuclear policy councils, which have been held since 2022, the latest meeting defined the main orientations of national nuclear policy.
The meeting, chaired by Macron, was held at the construction site of the new EPR2 reactors at the Penly NPP in Petit-Caux. The site is ready, but construction is not due to start before 2029. During the meeting, the Council took note of the progress in the implementation of the EPR2 programme which aims to build six new high-power reactors, two each at the Penly, Gravelines and Bugey NPPs. The CPN also took note of the conclusions of the audit of the construction programme for the six EPR2 reactors carried out at the beginning of 2026 by the Interministerial Delegation for New Nuclear Power (DINN – la Délégation Interministérielle au Nouveau Nucléaire).
EDF is committed to meeting the construction cost target of €72.8bn ($84bn) and the programme schedule. DINN was commissioned to avoid the massive cost overruns and delays seen at Flamanville 3. By validating the €72.8bn price tag for the first six EPR2 reactors, the French government is attempting to reassure investors and the public that the “serial production” model will be more efficient than previous one-off projects. The formal green light was given to begin the “main civil engineering” phase at Penly (the first pair of reactors) following the completion of preparatory site work in 2025.
The €72.8bn target includes a contingency margin, but the DINN audit highlighted that supply chain bottlenecks remain the biggest risk to this budget. Beyond the initial six reactors, the Council officially requested EDF to submit preliminary studies by the end of 2026 for an additional eight EPR2 units, bringing the potential total to 14. DINN acts as a high-level “watchdog” meaning EDF must provide quarterly reports on industrial progress to ensure the first reactor at Penly stays on track for its 2035-2037 commissioning window.
The CPN also confirmed the main principles and parameters of the financing and regulatory plan for the EPR2 programme. The subsidised state loan granted to the EPR 2 programme for 60% of the total amount of the programme will be financed by the savings fund of the Caisse des Dépôts. The financing plan for the €72.8bn programme is structured around several core components designed to ensure the project’s financial viability: a subsidised state loan; a 40-year contract for difference (CfD) intended to guarantee a stable electricity price; and a formal risk sharing mechanism between the French State and EDF to manage potential construction delays or cost overruns.
These state aid measures were submitted for approval in November 2025 to the European Commission (EC) and remain under discussion to ensure compliance with EU competition rules. EDF is expected to reach a final investment decision by the end of 2026, once the financing framework is fully validated. The CPN asked all state services and EDF to take all necessary measures to finalise the ongoing discussions with the EC within a timetable consistent with this objective.
The Council also took note of the progress of the Downstream of the Future (Post-2040) programme supported by Orano. This is a massive industrial overhaul of the La Hague site in Normandy, designed to ensure France can continue recycling nuclear fuel for the next century. The current plants (UP2-800 and UP3) are ageing. The new programme focuses on building new high-performance units to replace them starting in the 2040s. The new infrastructure is specifically engineered to handle used fuel from the six (and potentially 14) new EPR2 reactors currently being planned.
Phase 1 (by 2040) addresses immediate capacity and includes two used fuel storage pools to prevent the “saturation” of existing pools at La Hague; enhanced security and capacity for storing plutonium extracted during reprocessing; and Melox 2, a next-generation plant to manufacture mixed oxide fuel enabling recycled plutonium to be reused in reactors.
Phase 2 (Post-2040) includes La Hague 2, the successor to the current UP2-800 and UP3 plants. It is designed to be more automated and efficient at separating recyclable materials from waste. A third storage pool will provide long-term flexible capacity as the full fleet of 14 potential EPR2s comes online. By the end of 2026, Orano must present a more detailed technical and financial roadmap for the new installations in order to guarantee the commissioning by 2040 of the first phase of the project.
The CPN confirmed the “Grand Chantier” (Major Construction Site) label of the programme and asked state services to implement the necessary measures to accelerate procedures and simplify applicable requirements. The “Grand Chantier” label is a high-level administrative designation in France used for projects of exceptional national importance. By confirming this label for the Downstream of the Future and the EPR2 programmes, the CPN is triggering a “fast-track” mode for the entire nuclear supply chain.
In addition, the CPN confirmed the launch of an ambitious new programme to close the nuclear fuel cycle aimed at mobilising all stakeholders (principals, research, emerging players) to tackle the long-term challenges of uranium supply, making it possible end natural uranium imports by 2100. This marks the return of fast breeder reactor (FBR) technology to the centre of French energy strategy. France’s fast reactor programme effectively ended after it closed its Superphénix reactor in 1998 and Phenix reactor in 2009. Subsequently, in 2019, France also cancelled the Generation IV ASTRID sodium-cooled fast reactor demonstrator design project.
A new four-year study (2026–2030) will involve the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA – Commissariat à l’énergie Atomique et aux énergies Alternatives), EDF, Framatome and Orano, alongside “emerging players” (startups from the France 2030 plan). They will design the next generation of reactors capable of “burning” the waste produced by current EPRs. The decision to launch construction by 2030 effectively replaces the cancelled ASTRID project with a more modern, commercially-oriented successor. This will likely be a small modular reactor (SMR) or a medium-sized demonstrator designed to prove the closed-loop cycle at scale.
The CPN decided to establish a programme department integrating representatives of CEA, EDF, Framatome and Orano to report annually on the progress of the programme. The Council asked that the financing plan include European and international partnerships, as well as contributions from manufacturers. It said the mobilisation of all stakeholders, “and in particular emerging stakeholders within this strategy, will be a major challenge”.
Finally, the Council welcomed the announcement of additional funding provided by France 2030 for two small heat-producing reactors (Calogena and Jimmy) as part of the France 2030 programme. The Council is removing “brick and mortar” barriers to ensure these startups can build their first demonstrators. CEA has been ordered to open up its historic sites at Marcoule and Cadarache. – a major win for startups, as these sites already have nuclear-grade security, environmental monitoring, and grid connections. The government is also mandated to adapt French law to the specific needs of SMRs and microreactors. The Council also took note of the continued examination of other files which will make it possible to allocate additional aid to other projects in the coming months.
EDF, Framatome, Orano and CEA said in a press release that they welcomed the outcomes of the CPN which “confirm the French State’s commitment to ensuring the long term continuity and development of the nuclear sector, with the objective of guaranteeing competitive, sovereign and low carbon electricity”.
