French state energy company Electricite de France has received government authorization to begin site preparation for two new nuclear reactors at the Gravelines power plant in northern France.
The French government issued official approval on Saturday, August 22, 2026, granting EDF the required environmental authorization to start initial ground operations at the facility in the Nord department.
The decree allows heavy machinery to enter the site to prepare the land for two next-generation European Pressurized Reactors, known as EPR2 units. Gravelines, situated near Dunkirk along the North Sea coast, is one of Western Europe's largest atomic power stations.
Official authorization covers specific preparatory infrastructure activities designed to lay the groundwork for the future production units. Contractors will carry out platform servicing, build temporary site facilities, relocate an existing rail terminal, perform earthworks, and reinforce the underlying soil.
Scope of initial site operations
Work will also include constructing a watertight perimeter wall beneath the footprint of the future main factory block buildings before heavy construction commences.
Government officials emphasized that the current decree does not grant permission to construct the nuclear reactors themselves. It restricts EDF to progressive site preparation and explicitly forbids building structures intended to house nuclear materials or safety-critical equipment.
EDF confirmed that the environmental permit establishes strict regulatory requirements for the preparatory phase. These rules govern water management, biodiversity preservation, species protection, nuisance control, and ongoing environmental monitoring across the site.
Environmental protection and local plans
Before major ground alterations begin, teams will relocate protected wildlife and plant species from the construction area during ecologically favorable seasons. A new public information center will also be constructed near the facility to provide details about the project to local residents.
The expansion at Gravelines forms a central part of France's wider energy strategy announced by President Emmanuel Macron in February 2022. The national plan calls for constructing six new EPR2 pressurized water reactors, with an option to add eight more in later years.
French authorities selected three industrial sites to host the first three pairs of new reactors. Beside Gravelines in the Nord department, reactors are planned for Penly in Seine-Maritime and Bugey in the Ain department.
National reactor expansion timeline
The initial pair of new EPR2 reactors is slated for the Penly site in Normandy, with commissioning targeted for 2038. The Gravelines project will add two 1,600-megawatt reactors to an existing complex that already operates six 900-megawatt units.
Local authorities view the expansion as vital for decarbonizing the heavily industrial Dunkirk area, which currently relies on fossil fuels. A final investment decision on constructing the six planned EPR2 reactors across France is scheduled by the end of 2026.
