The electricity generated by nuclear power plants in France represents about 3/4 of all French electrical power.
All French NPP are run by one single operator: EDF.
The national NPP fleet consists of 58 reactors or Units, all of the pressurised water type (PWR), spread over 19 sites on the French territory, each of these comprising 2 or 4 Units. Gravelines is the only 6-unit site.
The electrical power delivered by the reactors to the network can be of 3 different power levels: 900 MWe (34 units), 1300 MWe (20 units) and 1450 MWe (4 units).
A new Generation III reactor, called EPR, 1600 MWe, is currently being built at Flamanville, where 2 1300 MWe Units are already operated.
These power plants can be of different technologies, e.g. Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR), Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), Heavy Water Moderated Reactor (CANDU), Graphite- Moderated/Gas-Cooled Reactor (AGR) or Graphite-Moderated/Light Water Cooled Reactor.
