A French government commission has called for improvements in the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants, including their ability to withstand terrorist attack, putting further pressure on state-backed power utility EDF, reports the Financial Times.
The parliamentary commission set up to look at the safety and security of nuclear installations in France said, in a report published on Thursday, that the fleet remain vulnerable to accident and attack.
“French nuclear installations seem to suffer from an original flaw that will be difficult to remedy: they were not designed to withstand terrorist-like aggression,” said the report.
The report comes at a time of heightened political pressure for heavily indebted EDF, which operates France’s nuclear fleet and faces a multi-billion euro bill to extend the life of ageing plants.
EDF defended itself on Thursday, saying in a statement that safety has been its “priority right from the start” and it is committed to “a process of continuous improvement.
The nuclear-focused company is battling to prove the viability of its next-generation European Pressurised Reactor while having to demonstrate its commitment to renewable energy.