Fessenheim will be well closed in 2016 says Cosse – Challenges.fr

Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin), Dean of the French nuclear fleet in the viewfinder of Germany and Switzerland, will be well closed in 2016, said Sunday, March 6 the Minister of Housing Emmanuelle Cosse .

“the timing (of the closure of Fessenheim) is the one that I said many times the president, it’s 2016″ , said the minister in an interview to the Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro-LCI.

“the president has pledged to close Fessenheim by the end of 2016. This is that, the date, “insisted the former leader of EELV file, arguing that” the process is fairly simple to stop a reactor. “

” to achieve the decrease in the share of nuclear by 2025, it will close other plants, other reactors, of course, over several years, “she further said.

the Minister of the Environment and the Energy, Segolene Royal, asked in October to begin the EDF Fessenheim closure procedure by “the end of June 2016″, for an effective closure in 2018. Because “to close two reactors like those Fessenheim, it simply by turning a knob, “she had explained before.

in September Francois Hollande declared that Fessenheim, in service since 1977, would not close in 2016 as originally planned and contrary at one of its election promises of 2012, due to delays in the construction of the EPR in Flamanville (Manche).

“No reason to close the Fessenheim plant”

Located near the border with Germany and Switzerland, on an earthquake fault and below the Rhine, this central source of concern for environmentalists French, German and Swiss since years.

on Friday, Berlin reiterated its desire for close Fessenheim “asap”, citing a “security risk” posed by his age.

“from the point of view of nuclear safety, there is no reason to close the Fessenheim plant “currently, countered on Friday nuclear safety Authority (ASN), considering its level of security” generally satisfactory “.

Citing a need for “further work”, the Ministry of the Environment has indefinitely postponed this week a meeting originally scheduled next Tuesday to trace the main lines of development of energy sources by 2023, in framework of the implementation of the law on energy transition.

(with AFP)