Skip to content
Reference data
Page built2026-10-22
Data as ofAugust 2026

Nuclear power in France

nuclearchain.net/countries/france/ · data: Global Energy Monitor (GNPT, August 2026), CC BY 4.0 · printed from the live page

France operates 57 nuclear power reactors across 24 sites, with 65.7 GW of gross capacity. 15 units have been retired.

Operating
57
65.7 GW gross
Under construction
0
-
Planned
6
incl. 4 announced
Retired
15
5 cancelled
FRANCEGERMANYITALYPenly nuclear power plant: 4 units, 6,064 MWGravelines nuclear power plant: 6 units, 5,706 MWPaluel nuclear power plant: 4 units, 5,528 MWCattenom nuclear power plant: 4 units, 5,448 MWChinon nuclear power plant: 7 units, 4,606 MWFlamanville nuclear power plant: 3 units, 4,414 MWBugey nuclear power plant: 5 units, 4,279 MWCruas nuclear power plant: 4 units, 3,824 MWTricastin nuclear power plant: 4 units, 3,820 MWBlayais nuclear power plant: 4 units, 3,804 MWDampierre nuclear power plant: 4 units, 3,748 MWChooz nuclear power plant: 3 units, 3,440 MWCivaux nuclear power plant: 2 units, 3,122 MWSaint-Laurent nuclear power plant: 4 units, 2,942 MWSt. Alban nuclear power plant: 2 units, 2,762 MWNogent nuclear power plant: 2 units, 2,726 MWGolfech nuclear power plant: 2 units, 2,726 MWBelleville nuclear power plant: 2 units, 2,726 MWFessenheim nuclear power plant: 2 units, 1,840 MWSuperphénix nuclear power plant: 1 unit, 1,242 MWPhenix nuclear power plant: 1 unit, 142 MWMarcoule nuclear power plant: 3 units, 93 MWBrennilis nuclear power plant: 1 unit, 75 MW250 km
Operating18Retired5circle area ∝ site capacity Coastlines, borders and lakes: Natural Earth (1:10 million, public domain), which is generalised, so a coastal plant can sit a couple of kilometres off its true shoreline. Site positions: Global Nuclear Power Tracker.

Operating fleet by type: PWR (57). Principal operator: Electricité de France.

Operating capacity over time

First reactor online1956
Peak66.0 GW in 2002
Now65.7 GW 57 units
2026 so farno change
0204060801960197019801990200020102020GW
Gross capacity of units that had started up and not been permanently shut down by 31 December each year (2026 is to date). Amber marks the peak, green the present.
Data table
YearUnits onlineGW grossChange, GW
195610.01+0.01
195920.05+0.04
196030.09+0.04
196440.17+0.08
196550.40+0.23
196660.88+0.48
196771.20+0.32
196871.27+0.07
196981.77+0.50
197192.30+0.53
1972102.86+0.56
197392.78−0.08
1974102.92+0.14
1978124.76+1.84
1979157.57+2.81
19802013.19+5.62
19812820.76+7.57
19833325.53+4.77
19843629.30+3.78
19854035.58+6.27
19864542.35+6.77
19874947.43+5.08
19885352.47+5.04
19895555.19+2.73
19905455.60+0.40
19915558.00+2.41
19925660.21+2.21
19945661.02+0.81
19985559.78−1.24
20005762.90+3.12
20025966.02+3.12
20105865.88−0.14
20205664.04−1.84
20245765.69+1.65

Only years in which capacity changed are listed.

Position in the fuel chain

FacilityStageOperatorCapacity / output
Malvési and Philippe Coste (Tricastin) conversion Orano 15,000tU/yr as UF6
Tricastin deconversion (W plant) deconversion Orano 20,000tU/yr
Georges Besse II, Tricastin enrichment Orano 7,500tSWU/yr
Romans-sur-Isère (FBFC) fabrication Framatome 1,400tHM/yr
Melox, Marcoule fabrication Orano 195tHM/yr
Cigéo repository Andra not disclosed
Centre de l'Aube (CSA) repository Andra not disclosed
La Hague reprocessing Orano 1,700tHM/yr

All units in France

UnitSiteStatusTypeGross MWOnline
Belleville nuclear power plant 1 Belleville nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1988
Belleville nuclear power plant 2 Belleville nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1989
Blayais nuclear power plant 1 Blayais nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1981
Blayais nuclear power plant 2 Blayais nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1983
Blayais nuclear power plant 3 Blayais nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1983
Blayais nuclear power plant 4 Blayais nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1983
Bugey nuclear power plant 2 Bugey nuclear power plant Operating PWR 945 1979
Bugey nuclear power plant 3 Bugey nuclear power plant Operating PWR 945 1979
Bugey nuclear power plant 4 Bugey nuclear power plant Operating PWR 917 1979
Bugey nuclear power plant 5 Bugey nuclear power plant Operating PWR 917 1980
Cattenom nuclear power plant 1 Cattenom nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,362 1987
Cattenom nuclear power plant 2 Cattenom nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,362 1988
Cattenom nuclear power plant 3 Cattenom nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,362 1991
Cattenom nuclear power plant 4 Cattenom nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,362 1992
Chinon nuclear power plant B-1 Chinon nuclear power plant Operating PWR 954 1984
Chinon nuclear power plant B-2 Chinon nuclear power plant Operating PWR 954 1984
Chinon nuclear power plant B-3 Chinon nuclear power plant Operating PWR 954 1987
Chinon nuclear power plant B-4 Chinon nuclear power plant Operating PWR 954 1988
Chooz nuclear power plant B-1 Chooz nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,560 2000
Chooz nuclear power plant B-2 Chooz nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,560 2000
Civaux nuclear power plant 1 Civaux nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,561 2002
Civaux nuclear power plant 2 Civaux nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,561 2002
Cruas nuclear power plant 1 Cruas nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1984
Cruas nuclear power plant 2 Cruas nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1985
Cruas nuclear power plant 3 Cruas nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1984
Cruas nuclear power plant 4 Cruas nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1985
Dampierre nuclear power plant 1 Dampierre nuclear power plant Operating PWR 937 1980
Dampierre nuclear power plant 2 Dampierre nuclear power plant Operating PWR 937 1981
Dampierre nuclear power plant 3 Dampierre nuclear power plant Operating PWR 937 1981
Dampierre nuclear power plant 4 Dampierre nuclear power plant Operating PWR 937 1981
Flamanville nuclear power plant 1 Flamanville nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1986
Flamanville nuclear power plant 2 Flamanville nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1987
Flamanville nuclear power plant 3 Flamanville nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,650 2024
Golfech nuclear power plant 1 Golfech nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1991
Golfech nuclear power plant 2 Golfech nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1994
Gravelines nuclear power plant 1 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1980
Gravelines nuclear power plant 2 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1980
Gravelines nuclear power plant 3 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1981
Gravelines nuclear power plant 4 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1981
Gravelines nuclear power plant 5 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1985
Gravelines nuclear power plant 6 Gravelines nuclear power plant Operating PWR 951 1985
Nogent nuclear power plant 1 Nogent nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1988
Nogent nuclear power plant 2 Nogent nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,363 1989
Paluel nuclear power plant 1 Paluel nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1985
Paluel nuclear power plant 2 Paluel nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1985
Paluel nuclear power plant 3 Paluel nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1986
Paluel nuclear power plant 4 Paluel nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1986
Penly nuclear power plant 1 Penly nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1990
Penly nuclear power plant 2 Penly nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,382 1992
Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant B-1 Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1983
Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant B-2 Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant Operating PWR 956 1983
St. Alban nuclear power plant 1 St. Alban nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,381 1986
St. Alban nuclear power plant 2 St. Alban nuclear power plant Operating PWR 1,381 1987
Tricastin nuclear power plant 1 Tricastin nuclear power plant Operating PWR 955 1980
Tricastin nuclear power plant 2 Tricastin nuclear power plant Operating PWR 955 1980
Tricastin nuclear power plant 3 Tricastin nuclear power plant Operating PWR 955 1981
Tricastin nuclear power plant 4 Tricastin nuclear power plant Operating PWR 955 1981
Penly nuclear power plant 3 Penly nuclear power plant Pre-construction PWR 1,650 2038
Penly nuclear power plant 4 Penly nuclear power plant Pre-construction PWR 1,650 2038
Bugey nuclear power plant 6 Bugey nuclear power plant Announced PWR 1,650 -
Bugey nuclear power plant 7 Bugey nuclear power plant Announced PWR 1,650 -
Gravelines nuclear power plant 7 Gravelines nuclear power plant Announced PWR 1,650 2039
Gravelines nuclear power plant 8 Gravelines nuclear power plant Announced PWR 1,650 2039
Brennilis nuclear power plant Brennilis nuclear power plant Retired PHWR 75 1968
Bugey nuclear power plant 1 Bugey nuclear power plant Retired GCR 555 1972
Chinon nuclear power plant A-1 Chinon nuclear power plant Retired GCR 80 1964
Chinon nuclear power plant A-2 Chinon nuclear power plant Retired GCR 230 1965
Chinon nuclear power plant A-3 Chinon nuclear power plant Retired GCR 480 1966
Chooz nuclear power plant A Chooz nuclear power plant Retired PWR 320 1967
Fessenheim nuclear power plant 1 Fessenheim nuclear power plant Retired PWR 920 1978
Fessenheim nuclear power plant 2 Fessenheim nuclear power plant Retired PWR 920 1978
Le Carnet nuclear power plant 1 Le Carnet nuclear power plant Cancelled PWR 1,500 -
Le Carnet nuclear power plant 2 Le Carnet nuclear power plant Cancelled PWR 1,500 -
Le Carnet nuclear power plant 3 Le Carnet nuclear power plant Cancelled PWR 1,500 -
Le Carnet nuclear power plant 4 Le Carnet nuclear power plant Cancelled PWR 1,500 -
Marcoule nuclear power plant Astrid 1 Marcoule nuclear power plant Cancelled FBR 600 -
Marcoule nuclear power plant G1 Marcoule nuclear power plant Retired - 7 1956
Marcoule nuclear power plant G2 Marcoule nuclear power plant Retired GCR 43 1959
Marcoule nuclear power plant G3 Marcoule nuclear power plant Retired GCR 43 1960
Phenix nuclear power plant Phenix nuclear power plant Retired FBR 142 1974
Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant A-1 Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant Retired GCR 500 1969
Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant A-2 Saint-Laurent nuclear power plant Retired GCR 530 1971
Superphénix nuclear power plant Superphénix nuclear power plant Retired FBR 1,242 1986

More on France

Fuel supply exposure

The fuel families France's operating reactors take, and the fabricators our sources document as able to make each. This is capability, not contracts: it does not say who actually supplies a given plant.

Fuel familyUnitsGW grossDocumented fabricatorsNote
PWR (square-lattice) fuel5765.7Westinghouse Electric Company, Framatome, KEPCO Nuclear Fuel, China National Nuclear Corporation, ENUSA Industrias Avanzadas, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

See every country and who fabricates fuel.

Put this country on your own page: embed a card, or compare it with another country.

Sources

How these sources are used, including the corrections applied on top of them and what is deliberately left blank · download the underlying data

Try

Searches every page: 1,823 reactors, 592 plants, 158 fuel chain facilities, companies, designs, accidents and notes.