All 58 French reactors up and running
FRANCE - All of the 58 nuclear reactors operated by utility company EDF are hooked up to the French grid for the first time in six years, the company said.
Electricite de France, the world's largest utility company, said the 58 nuclear reactors at its 19 nuclear power stations are set up now to produce 60 million kilowatt hours of electricity for French consumers for the first time since December 2004.
The linkage of the 58 reactors, EDF said, represents an "impressive industrial feat" that guarantees French consumers a reliable power source during a harsh winter season.
The French utility company said its production was 5 percent higher for peak consumption periods from December 1, 2009, through February 15, 2010, than during the previous reporting period. This increase, the company said, represents about 4,200 megawatts of energy.
EDF, however, said "the only guarantee" of sustainable performance, was to modernize its regional production systems, which it said would cost around $4.5 million per year.
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Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources John Streicker says linking the territory's power grid to the south would help with the national move to renewable energy, support the mineral extraction required for green projects, and improve northern energy and Arctic security.
"We're getting to the moment in time when we will want an electricity grid which stretches from coast to coast to coast. … I think that the moment is coming for this…
