France plans six new nuclear reactors but funding not secure
Auditor says lack of funding is hurting supply chain visibility
Predicts France39;s newest reactor will see mediocre profits

PARIS, Jan 14 Reuters France is far from ready to build six nuclear reactors, the state39;s top audit body said on Tuesday, underlining the challenges the country faces in rejuvenating its ageing fleet of nuclear power plants.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan in 2022 for stateowned utility EDF to build six European pressurised reactors EPRs.

The cost was estimated at 51.7 billion euros 52.73 billion, but revised up to 67.4 billion in 2023 on higher raw material and engineering costs.

EDF planned to update that estimate by the end of last year but has not done so publicly.

Construction is expected to get underway in 2027 but with financing for the project still uncertain, the supply chain has not been able to prepare for such a large construction programme, raising the risk of failure, the Court of Auditors said in its report.

France gets about 70 of its power from nuclear plants, but many of its ageing reactors will soon need to be retired.

It is also hoping to export its expertise amid revived interest in nuclear energy globally, and to demonstrate the efficiency of its new simplified EPR model, known as EPR2.

While the estimated budget for the new reactors has increased, it remains much lower than other recently completed projects, based on what EDF hopes will…