Ecologist presidential candidate Yannick Jadot, January 7, 2022 in Paris (AFP/Archives/Thomas COEX)
The environmental candidate for the presidential Yannick Jadot wants to “take back total control of EDF” by a change of status, by remaking a public industrial and commercial establishment (EPIC).
“What I want is for EDF to become a powerful, coherent strategic tool, at the service of the energy transition”, justified the European deputy on the Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-LCI on Sunday.
“When the State closes a nuclear power plant, we pay astronomical compensation to EDF and the shareholders. Today you have an EDF operator who, through government decisions, is in the process of committing hara-kiri so that Total and Engie are making record profits and paying astronomical dividends to their shareholders,” he said.
According to him, going from almost 84% to 100% of the capital of EDF for the State, it costs “around 5 to 6 billion euros, it’s much cheaper”.
EDF is accumulating setbacks as the government asked it to increase by 20% the volume of nuclear electricity sold at a reduced price to its competitors this year, in order to limit the rise in electricity prices for consumers.
The environmental candidate calls for a parliamentary commission of inquiry after the “absolute fiasco” of the EPR in Flamanville.
“No one, not a minister, not an EDF official is before a commission of inquiry to justify the 17 billion euros” of overrun, according to him (20 billion according to the Court of Auditors against 3.3 billion planned initially).
“You realize that 17 billion is almost the budget for higher education and you have people who brew billions of euros of public money without ever being accountable,” he lamented.
EDF announced on Wednesday that the start-up of the new generation EPR nuclear reactor under construction in Flamanville (Manche) was postponed to 2023, due in particular to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a new additional cost of 300 million euros. .
Under construction since 2007, the EPR was initially to be commissioned in 2012, but the construction site was affected by numerous setbacks and additional costs, and the initial cost was almost quadrupled.
EDF has also had to extend the shutdown of some of its nuclear reactors, where corrosion problems have been identified, and in some cases the shutdown will last until the end of the year.
© 2022 AFP
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