France’s Nuclear Waste Dilemma Threatens Energy Future

In France, there are over 280,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste that will continue to emit radiation for more than 100,000 years. Although this is “low-level” waste, its long-term management is far from marginal. And above all, there is still no definitive plan for its storage. The French Court of Auditors has raised the issue , which, in a recent report, points the finger at the absence of a national strategy for this category of waste, known as Favl.

This nuclear waste – graphite, bitumen, radium residues, technological waste from the La Hague nuclear site – cannot be buried in future deep geological repositories, such as the Cigéo project, much less stored on the surface. It is therefore, in effect, devoid of a destiny. And the risk, warns the Court, is that the issue becomes a security problem, as well as a political and financial one, such as to compromise the entire French nuclear industry.

“Invisible” Nuclear Waste: The Unresolved Issue of French Nuclear Power

Unlike the highly radioactive waste, which will be hosted at the Bure site on the border between Haute-Marne and Meuse, the Favl waste has not yet found a definitive location. The community of communes of Vendeuvre-Soulaines, in the Aube department, has said it is willing to host only the radioactive waste and only under certain conditions. But for the bulk of the Favl, the path is still to be traced.

The Court of Auditors emphasizes how the responsibility for this waste is today “diluted” among a plurality of subjects – mining companies, decommissioned power plants, research laboratories – none of which shows particular urgency in solving the problem. Also because, at the moment, nuclear waste is still stored at the sites of origin. In advantageous economic conditions but potentially dangerous in the medium-long term.

This stalemate could have serious consequences: it could hinder the dismantling of old infrastructures, unnecessarily increase the costs of the Cigéo project – if it were decided to include the Favl – and above all increase the risk of accidents or malfunctions in temporary storage sites.

Cigéo: the French mega project for high-level nuclear waste

At the centre of the attention of the Agence nationale pour la gestion des déchets radioactifs (Andra) is the Cigéo project , a deep geological storage centre that should house the most dangerous waste, that which is highly radioactive and long-lived. The cost? Between 26 and 37 billion euros, spread over 150 years. The final political decision is expected by 2026, while the authorisation to start work is expected between 2027 and 2028.

According to the Court of Auditors , Andra has been able to prepare for this epochal transition, doubling its staff since 2007 and transforming itself into an entity ready for the operational phase. From a financial point of view, the agency is solid , thanks to the “polluter pays” principle. The main contributors are Edf (Électricité de France), Orano (formerly Areva) and the Atomic Energy Commission.

However, there are still major uncertainties about the long-term financing of Cigéo. Resources depend on multi-year agreements between Andra and waste producers, instruments judged by the Court to be too fragile and subject to interruptions. To ensure stability, the introduction of a dedicated tax is suggested.

France continues to invest in nuclear power, despite unresolved issues

The Cigéo project is not only a technical challenge: it is also a test bed for the social acceptability of nuclear power in France. Local taxation, i.e. the economic benefits for host communities, is yet to be defined and is a critical issue. The Court recommends clarifying this aspect by 2025, before the public consultation scheduled for the following year.

At a time when the French government plans to build at least six – and perhaps up to fourteen – new Epr2 reactors (so-called “third generation”, pressurized water reactors) as well as a fleet of mini-modular reactors, the management of Favl waste risks undermining the credibility of the entire nuclear revival project. As the Court writes, “the failure to resolve this issue calls into question the sector’s ability to manage all its waste and weakens the revival dynamic.”

French Nuclear: Waste Is Just One of Many Problems

Without forgetting that the EPR reactors already built have encountered significant obstacles . The case of the third reactor in Flamanville is emblematic , work on which began in 2007 with the aim of entering into operation by 2012. Instead, a long series of technical problems, management delays and construction defects have postponed the entry into service by more than twelve years. The connection to the grid took place only in December 2024, after the costs had risen to 19.1 billion euros compared to the 3.4 billion initially planned.

The Favl waste affair reminds us how essential it is, for any energy policy, to accompany the promises of innovation and power with a rigorous and transparent management of externalities . Nuclear waste, even the “low-radioactive” kind, remains a heavy legacy for future ones. Ignoring it, or postponing the problem, risks compromising not only the safety, but also the social legitimacy of French energy policy.

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(Featured image by Ilja Nedilko via Unsplash)

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First published in valori. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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