France's EDF returns Civaux 2 reactor, delays others amid strike

France's EDF has restarted the 1.5-GW Civaux-2 reactor while delaying both planned maintenance and returns elsewhere amid ongoing worker strikes, transparency data showed April 24.

EDF further delayed planned return dates for Gravelines 1 and Blayais 1, where strikes have been ongoing for over five weeks.

The start of maintenance at Cruas 4 was also delayed further, with annual refueling pushed back another fortnight to May 6. Initial planning set an April 20 return date for the reactor, now scheduled to remain offline until June 16.

Civaux-2 has been awaiting a restart, having been delayed by strikes after a failed attempt in early March. The reactor has been offline since late 2021 for stress corrosion repairs that were completed in February.

The reactor is France's third to restart since the unpopular pension reforms -- which have been the focus of the strikes -- became law in mid-April.

Union leaders, including energy union FNME-CGT, contemplated continuing action in May, with some calling for the interruption of major events as part of ongoing protests. However, actual strikes by workers have eased.

Analysts at S&P Global Commodity Insights have cut their 2023 French nuclear production forecast by 14 TWh since March 9, now forecasting only 304 TWh.

EDF is to report first-quarter 2023 figures on April 28 and may provide an update to its 2023 estimate of 300-330 TWh that was re-confirmed on March 16.

Actual output peaked above 35 GW on April 24, reflecting reactor returns and delayed maintenance starts. April-to-date output averaged around 34 GW, compared to a 33 GW forecast by S&P Global.

April is on track to see the first on-year increase for nuclear production since October 2021.

French month-ahead power traded as low as Eur100.40/MWh on April 24, the lowest price in 21 months, EEX data showed.

Winter risk premiums also started to ease after prices doubled over the past month, with the first-quarter 2024 price having peaked at Eur453/MWh April 3. The contract traded on EEX at Eur349/MWh on April 24.