HJBC/Shutterstock Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter French nuclear operator EDF recorded its lowest domestic nuclear production level since 1988 last year, contributing to drastic increases in electricity prices in France and the European Union and making France a net importer of electricity for the first time since 1980. As the EU grappled with soaring gas prices and a drop in hydropower production due to a historic drought, France’s nuclear fleet availability in 2022 fell to just 54% and its fleet of 56 reactors produced only 279 terrawatt hours of electricity, down from 360 TWh in 2021.
