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The EDF officials are not back yet. “This is amazing,” says one. “Surreal” judge another. “Apocalyptic” chokes third. In case, the compensation offered by the state to the company to compensate the early closure of the nuclear plant of Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin).
In a letter sent on 4 May to CEO of EDF, Jean-Bernard Lévy, and so far remained confidential, the Minister of environment and energy, Segolene Royal, ahead for the first time an amount that could be paid to public. “In the state of the elements I have, the amount of compensation should be in the range of 80 million to 100 million euros,” she wrote in that document that Le Monde consulted.
the sum is disproportionate to those discussed since François Hollande promised during the 2012 campaign, to stop Fessenheim, the oldest nuclear power plant of France, in service since 1977. in a report submitted to the national Assembly in September 2014, MPs Marc Goua (Socialist Party) and Hervé Mariton (Republicans) had, in the first analysis, estimated at 4 billion euros the possible compensation for EDF. This assessment was then vigorously contested by M me Royal. It was in her “wacky calculations (…) launched into nature to try to influence decisions.”
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The dual role of the State
Some experts had then mentioned an envelope from 2.5 billion to 3 billion euros. This corresponds roughly to the hopes EDF executives. “They had never given figure, but had forecast at least 2 billion euros,” estimated a familiar group.
The amount made today on the table by the State appears 20 to 50 times less than these various encryptions, which caused some stunning to EDF headquarters in Paris. This is of course a starting point, set deliberately low by the state, that is here not as a majority shareholder of EDF, but as public authorities, anxious not to widen the budget deficit. It shows, however, that negotiations just begun will be hard.
Mr. Levy is now preparing to meet M me Royal, to propose a meeting. But beyond these polite exchanges, “dialogue is completely blocked, an analysis of those who follow the negotiations. Everyone is waiting to see who will release the ballast first. “
Reaching early agreement
The decision to stop at term, the two reactors at Fessenheim was announced on the arrival of Hollande at the Elysee Palace, in 2012. But the exact date of the closure has long remained unclear, as is the question of financial cost of the operation .
Since then the situation has begun to clarify. While judging that Fessenheim is a safe plant, which could still function for many years, EDF has agreed to close its Alsatian site, when the EPR under construction at Flamanville (Manche) will be commissioned. The law on energy transition, which tops out at 63,200 megawatts generation French nuclear electricity will be well respected. Given the delay of Flamanville, the opening of this plant and the shutdown of Fessenheim should take place towards the end of 2018, according to EDF.
The financial discussions, they have started there only a few weeks, from the time when M me Royal has appointed a negotiator, Jean-Michel Malerba, Bridges engineer. The objective of the state is to reach a rapid agreement, which will be submitted to the works council and the EDF Board of Directors. Then, the company will make a formal request to repeal the authorization to operate Fessenheim. This step, initially expected by the end of June, is now envisaged by EDF for January – a shift also criticized by M me Royal
<. span class = "hook"> The company is the victim of a “deprivation of a nuclear tool that works well,” Jean-Bernard Lévy
in eyes of Mr. Levy, the damage EDF in this case is “indisputable”, as he told a Senate hearing on 27 April. The company is the victim of a “deprivation of a nuclear tool that works well,” and was to be used again for years, he said. The Nuclear Safety Authority has in fact issued in 2011 and 2012, favorable opinion to the operation of the two reactors for at least ten years, EDF has invested to upgrade facilities. In such cases, it makes sense to claim compensation, as acknowledged by the Constitutional Council in its decision of 13 August 2015.
The authorities insist them on all the factors justifying the minimum compensation. Injury ? It may not be that important, particularly because of the recent fall in electricity prices in the European market. Sustainable movement ruled by analysts, due to excess production capacity. This price drop even reduced the expected revenue as a central Fessenheim, so the shortfall in the event of early termination.
According to Ms. Royal, there is not really even lack to win. Because of the low prices, the central earns more money, she said. “The closure will allow the company to save operating costs are in the order of 300 million euros [per year], wrote the minister. If it had been an extension, the plant would also mobilized a holding investment in operational conditions assessed at 190 million euros per year, which will thus be saved. “
As for the operation of Fessenheim beyond forty years, in 2017, she had nothing for granted, says Ms Royal in his letter. Under these conditions, “no evidence to consider” EDF is compensated for the failure to use the central “on the period after the fourth year inspection.”
The Minister also highlights the contacts made by the government to investors that could help in the conversion of the site, and thus reduce the cost of closing for EDF.
“Nevertheless, the government will have to explain many argue such a paltry amount, further complicating our difficult financial equation” exclaims a part of EDF.
the standoff followed closely by the minority shareholders of EDF, but also by the industrial partners of the group at Fessenheim. A third of the plant has been owned by German EnBW and Swiss Alpiq, Axpo and BKW, who participated in its financing and use electricity generated on site. They also hope to be compensated properly.
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