16% of France’s energy provide blocked amid protest – as nuclear reactor upkeep disrupted

Maintenance at 9 French nuclear reactors was disrupted because of the strike towards the federal government’s deliberate pension reforms.

About 8.2 gigawatts of the nation’s energy provide at thermal, hydro and nuclear vegetation was additionally blocked, a spokesperson for the CGT union stated.

This equated to round 16% of the nation’s complete energy manufacturing, in line with information from grid operator RTE.

However, imports from neighbouring international locations totalled lower than a gigawatt, suggesting provide was ample to fulfill demand.

The reactors had been all operated by EDF.

On Thursday, round 100 protesters blocked a highway resulting in terminal one of many Charles de Gaulle airport, and entered the terminal constructing on the eleventh day of nationwide strikes.

Thousands of individuals as soon as once more gathered in cities to display towards President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reforms, which might change France‘s retirement age from 62 to 64.

In Paris, protesters set hearth to considered one of Mr Macron’s favorite eating places, La Rotonde brasserie, whereas rat catchers threw useless rodents at metropolis corridor “to show the hard reality of their mission”, a frontrunner of the CGT commerce union stated on the time.