Twenty-two British Greenpeace activists this morning (December 4th 2003) gained access to the grounds of a French nuclear power site that has been tagged for expansion to supply electricity to foreign markets including Britain.
In total, forty volunteers from across Europe have erected 10 wind turbines and unfolded a banner on the reactor building saying No nukes, Go wind. They invaded the plant in Penly, Normandy, at 6.30am to protest the French government's decision to build another nuclear reactor on the site. All have now been arrested.
There is already a huge overcapacity of nuclear power in France while the cheaper option of clean safe wind power remains undeveloped and readily available. The protesters are urging the French generator EdF to drop plans for another dangerous and uneconomic nuclear reactor. The so-called EPR reactor design is outdated and unsafe. Fuelled by plutonium, it will produce extremely radioactive waste.
Greenpeace is urging EdF to instead invest in windpower, which has proven to be more reliable and economic than nuclear. The majority of Europeans want to see greater use of wind energy. The study Wind vs Nuclear 2003 published today by Greenpeace, shows that wind power generates 5 times more jobs and 2.3 times more electricity than a nuclear reactor for the same investment.
Greenpeace campaigner Robin Oakley said: "We've done this because nuclear pollution does not respect borders. Europe is turning its back on nuclear power and has not seen a new plant built for years, but the French government seems determined to put us all at risk with this proposed reactor on the Channel coast. Nuclear plants are extremely vulnerable. Today protesters got in with ease, while catastrophic accident is a constant risk. A disaster at a French plant could prove devastating for the British Isles."
The cost of the EPR is officially estimated at some euros 3-3.5 billion. If this amount of money was instead invested in wind power, it would generate enough electricity for 6.5 million households, more than double the number the new reactor could supply.
Robin Oakley continued: "The UK government has thrown its weight behind wind power as the cheapest and best way of generating clean energy. Monsieur Chirac would do well to follow Tony Blair's lead. The French government's enthusiasm for nuclear power could have huge consequences for all of us."
For more information contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
