France’s nuclear reactors will not work as normal any time soon

, the French energy giant, warned in May that nuclear-electricity production this year would be lower than previously forecast because half its reactors were out of action, the timing could not have been worse. Thanks to its nuclear industry, France is usually Europe’s biggest net exporter of electricity. The closures turned the country into a net power importer for the first time, just as the continent faced an energy crunch. When in September then announced that even by 2024 output would still be well below normal levels, the problem became a national embarrassment. France’s current nuclear troubles are partly due to routine maintenance of the country’s 56 reactors, half of which are about 40 years old. Each ageing reactor needs periodically to be shut down, on a rotating basis, for inspection. During the pandemic, scheduled maintenance was interrupted by lockdowns. The real crunch, though, came after corrosion issues were detected in late 2021 at one pressurised-water reactor. By this September no fewer than 25 reactors were out of action: ten for routine maintenance, the rest for corrosion analysis or repairs.