infrastructure · pivotal
French nuclear fleet stress-corrosion crisis
1 December 2021 → 31 December 2023
EDF discovered stress-corrosion cracking in reactor cooling circuits late 2021; extended shutdowns drove French nuclear output to 279 TWh in 2022 (lowest in decades). UK briefly became net electricity exporter. Recovered to 361 TWh by 2024.
Affected fuels: nuclear, imports_fr
Countries: FR, GB, EU
Sources
- www.eia.gov(accessed 2026-04-26)
- assets.rte-france.com(accessed 2026-04-26)