Saturday January 14, 2006

France will run trains free from fossil fuel

peakoil.com -> timesonline.co.uk :

Jacques Chirac, the French President, has stolen a march on Tony Blair's proposed energy review by pledging that no train in his country would be powered by conventional fossil fuels by 2026. M Chirac used a new year's address to cement France's commitment to nuclear power as well as urging an accelerated development of solar energy and electronic and hybrid diesel cars. In addition, the French President wants to see a fivefold increase in biomass fuels production over the next two years.

M Chirac's continued support for nuclear power - France is the world's second-biggest producer of atomic energy behind the US - also comes at a critical time for Europe. Although the gas-supply stand-off between Russia and Ukraine appears resolved, it highlighted Europe's dependence on Russian gas. In Britain, a cold spell of weather intensified fears that the country, already an importer of gas, would face supply shortages. Support for increased nuclear power generation in Britain is gathering momentum and its backers will have been buoyed further by M Chirac's declarations.

France's present "second generation" reactors are expected to be replaced by a third generation from 2012. France has 58 nuclear reactors spread across 19 atomic power plants. No new large power plants have been built since 1993, despite increased electricity demand. State-owned Electricité de France, which generates a quarter of Europe's electricity, three quarters of it from nuclear power, welcomed Chirac's address. EdF has already launched plans to start a third-generation 1,600 megawatt European pressurised water reactor.

See also :

1. French PM : "We have entered the post oil era."
2. Russia, Ukraine reach breakthrough deal ending gas war
3. UK : Grid alert as families face cold weather power cuts
4. UK Oil Production Down 12.8%

(2006-01-14 12:01:02 SGT) [Energy] Permalink

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