The Court of Auditors considers extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants to be cost-effective

EDF's nuclear reactors are now 40 years old on average. Extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants to 60 years, while costly, is a profitable investment according to the Court of Auditors and competitive compared to building new reactors. The cost of extending the lifespan of power plants from 40 to 60 years is estimated at €51/MWh. Although this cost is higher than the estimates made in 2021 (€35/MWh), it is significantly lower than the production cost of future EPR 2 reactors. Extending the lifespan of nuclear power plants is an option being considered in many countries. In the United States, the lifespan of nuclear power plants has been extended to 80 years.