French nuclear plant to be converted to EV factory
News
11 Apr 2016
France’s oldest nuclear power plant, the Fessenheim site, could be turned into an electric vehicle (EV) factory, as the site nears its scheduled close date in 2018.
Segolene Royal, the French environment minister declared that Paris and Berlin had agreed to work together to decide on the future of the nuclear site.
In an interview with the French media, Royal said: “What the Germans suggested was to work on developing the land to set up a Tesla factory or a factory for making third-generation batteries.”
A French-German group will work to set up creating a pilot site for dismantling power plants, which Royal claimed there was a ‘global market’. Royal is also set to meet Elon Musk, leader of Tesla Motors, to discuss Fessenheim’s potential as an EV factory.
The power plant currently has two 900-megawatt reactors and has been running since 1977. However, due to its age, activists have long been calling for it to be permanently close.
