E-mail communication Bruno Comby to John Shanahan
Save the FESSENHEIM nuclear power plant in France Bruno Comby March 30, 2020 Dear friends of clean nuclear energy, Unfortunately I confirm and agree to this very sad news: 120 billion euros have been wasted in France in recent years, just before the country is now entering a major financial crisis caused by the COVID 19 virus and a violent economic recession. This is the cumulated total cost of the existing program for wind and solar in France. The money would have been better spent using half of that amount (60 billion â‚Ź) on building 15 to 20 brand new modern hospitals and upgrading the excellent but with a constantly decreasing budget health care system of France. And the other half (another 60 billion â‚Ź) for building an additional nuclear capacity of 15 to 20 GW (10 EPR reactors) of clean nuclear power to deliver large amounts of clean power to France and the whole of Europe, making possible increased energy security in Europe and the conversion of a large proportion of the European transportation system to electric. This would at last make Europe much less dependent on oil from the Middle East and on gas imported in large quantities from Russia. Instead the French government prefers to halt operations at the highly profitable, recently modernized (post-Fukushima) NPP of Fessenheim, and announces another 12 similar NPP closures, based on absolutely no technical or safety issue, just for the pleasure of closing and (quoting the French government : "for lowering France's dependence on nuclear energy in the coming years..." but in fact there is no such dependence ! (it is just to please the antinuclear greens in the hope of getting their votes in an alliance for the next elections) while subsidizing always more (120 billion euros isn't enough...) the useless wind turbines at great expense. All this is breaking apart our beautiful country of France, our industry, our (in the past) healthy economy, and our wonderful health care system. It is very sad and stupid, caused only by absurd political decisions. This was started by Sarkozy and then amplified by Hollande and Macron, both are simply blind (and opportunistic) presidents. France used to be "the way to go" and "the example of a country you should follow" both for its successful nuclear program and its well managed efficient health care system. If 1
we persist in spending all the money available for subsidizing useless wind turbines, France will be in ruins in just very few years. The COVID disease is now accelerating the decay process and making things only worse and the decay more rapid than expected. Macron is now closing Fessenheim : the Fessenheim 1 reactor stopped operating in February 2020 and Fessenheim 2 reactor (also 900 MW) is expected to stop operations on June 30th. It is a safe and highly profitable NPP which has all permissions to operate delivered by the very strict French safety authority ASN to continue operate for at least another 10 years (and it could continue operating for 20 to 40 years, as similar plants do in the US). But Macron and his government prefer to shut down these 2 reactors, although they are safe and clean, and instead to 1/ build ever more wind turbines at sky-high cost that produce almost nothing only 20% of the time and then 2/ import electricity massively made from coal from nearby Germany. The Dateln coal-plant, built by Germany is brand new coal plant, finishing construction now, located just across the border on the other side of the Rhine river. See : https://www.power-technology.com/projects/datteln-4-coal-fired-power-plant/ Until now France was exporting large amounts of its clean nuclear electricity produced by the Fessenheim NPP to nearby Germany (on the other side of the Rhine river) through a high voltage line across the river. In the close future, things are poised to be exactly the other way around : the Germans will be exporting their dirty coal electricity to France through the same high-voltage line. And both countries will be starving for more juice and suffering energy shortages and increased risks of major blackouts (as happened in November 2006 because of the wind turbines in Germany) : 1100 MW of German coal won't be enough to replace 2 x 900 = 1800 MW of clean French nuclear electricity from the Fessenheim NPP. This absurd story can perhaps still be reversed with your help! EFN has decided to act in Court to stop this absurd merely political decision and reverse this industrial and economical wreckage. EFN is asking to continue operations at FESSENHEIM. Although reactor 1 has now recently stopped, it could technically restart operations, the installation is still intact, it is not too late ! EFN is attacking in Justice the decision of the French government to close Fessenheim NPP. 2
We have many individual supporters but no budget for this harsh fight ahead and we need financial support. This fight is a bit like David and Goliath as we don't have the first penny to pay for the expensive lawyers that are necessary for such an action. The French politicians have taken the very stupid decision of stopping the Fessenheim NPP without even respecting the French law at multiple levels. Therefore, we can easily attack the decisions in Court. If we succeed, we win. If we don't investing this new direction will show our strong determination to both the antinuclear politicians in government and to the antinuclear groups (much richer than EFN - with 3 more zeros in their budget than ours). See the details of our latest attack in Court in our official complaint filed here in February. This text is in French, but it is quite instructive to read for one who wants to understand the situation of nuclear energy in France these days : http://ecolo.org/judiciary/Fessenheim-plainte-AEPN-14-02-2020.pdf We are also currently about to file a second complaint at the Conseil d'Etat (High Court of Justice of France) against the law stopping Fessenheim voted by the French government on February 17th 2020 (just before abruptly closing Fessenheim-1 on February 20th). EFN needs to gather at least 15 000 â‚Ź as quickly as possible to start this second action. And then at least 50 000â‚Ź in the coming months, to act in court and follow up on both actions in support of FESSNEHEIM NPP. EDF has negotiated with the French government to obtain compensations in exchange of closing Fessenheim and therefore will not help us. They prefer a bad compromise and trading with the devil, rather than standing up to say the truth and fight against stupid decisions. EFN is therefore alone on the French territory for this important fight, strong with its 15 000 members and supporters around the world, but in great need of financial support as quickly as possible to conduct this action in the the French courts of justice RAPIDLY (there are juridical deadlines). PLEASE HELP EFN/AEPN SAVE NUCLEAR ENERGY IN FRANCE ! EFN urgently need funds to pay for the lawyers necessary for these two actions. It is VERY URGENT ! If we don't act now, the juridical deadlines will be over, Both reactors at FESSENHEIM will be closed and lost FOREVER, without authorization or any chance of restarting or even of a new nuclear build in the future on the same Fessenheim site, where there is 3
room enough to continue to operate the 2 existing reactors and to build 2 more on the same site. Donations can be sent by bank transfer or by credit car via paypal.com (send donations to payment@ecolo.org on the paypal web site). You can contact me any time between 10 AM and midnight (French time) on my mobile phone +33 6 11 84 88 00. I'm currently confined in Houilles in the close suburbs of Paris with my son Damien. We both caught the COVID virus early in February but both of us are well, fit and healthy now (after 39 C fever, some breathing and muscular pain issues but managed to get through it without hospitalization). We're both back to work, in perfect health, putting all our energy once again in the direction of saving nuclear energy in France, which is a new rising issue.. PLEASE HELP EFN SAVE FESSENHEIM AND NUCLEAR ENERGY IN FRANCE ! EFN needs support from abroad, Due to the political situation in France, we will get no help and no support from inside France, neither from the French government, nor from the EDF officials who are cooperating closely with the French government in applying these stupid political decisions. Read this to understand the situation and please help us urgently : http://ecolo.org/judiciary/Fessenheim-plainte-AEPN-14-02-2020.pdf EFN has operated and grown international, making possible various nuclear projects around the world during 24 years since its creation in 1996. We have traveled many times around the world and helped various successful nuclear projects, and to better inform the public about the many benefits of nuclear energy in 65 countries. The situation is now reversing : we (EFN headquarters in France) need URGENT financial support from abroad to continue our mission of supporting clean nuclear energy in France and throughout the world. Read here to understand the situation in the French nuclear sector, the current story in 2020 being centered around the FESSENHEIM NPP in France : http://ecolo.org/judiciary/Fessenheim-plainte-AEPN-14-02-2020.pdf (use an automatic online translation service such as google translate if necessary) Keep well, you and your family, stay confined and be healthy ! Enjoy your day,
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Bruno COMBY Founder and President of EFN Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy --EFN - Environmentalists For Nuclear Energy was founded in France in 1996. It is an international network of 15 000 members and supporters in 65 countries. Our mission is to inform the public, the journalists and politicians about the many benefits of clean nuclear energy and nuclear medicine for the general good of humanity http://www.ecolo.org Make a donation via paypal.com and send the donation to: payment@ecolo.org
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