The price cap is forcing EdF to sell energy at such a large loss, that they are taking the French government to court over it, to pay for the shortfall.Bird on a Fire wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 10:59 amIn France the electricity price rise has been capped at 4% https://www.politico.eu/article/frances ... ouseholds/ (even though their nuclear plants have been struggling to run at full capacity at times, due to the heatwave and drought impacting the cooling mechanisms).
The really big problem with the French nuclear reactors is corrosion, due to some shoddy practices at time of construction. Earlier this year about half of them were shut down for inspections, fixes, etc. I think some of them have been cleared to turn back on, though temporarily and/or not at full blast. Many of them are going to need some expensive attention and prolonged shutdowns in due course to be able to continue for their intended lifespans.
Yes, Britain had its dash for gas, which has led us to be able to nearly close down our coal stations. The main use for gas in Europe is space heating, so parts of Europe with cold winters will eventually start to suffer as we are already suffering. It is arguably unfortunate that gas became so very cheap at just the wrong time, that the follow-ons to Sizewell B, whose purpose was to be the first in class of a new series of nuclear reactors, got cancelled. And then Fukushima came along and we tied ourselves up in knots with new safety rules that make building reactors today so much more difficult and expensive. Hinkley Pt C only makes sense similarly. The govt has just given planning permission for Sizewell C, after 10 years in consideration, and even that was arguably a petulant act by a departing prime minister.