The Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant is located at Flamanville, Manche, France on the Cotentin Peninsula. The power plant houses three pressurized water reactors (PWRs). Unit 1 and 2, rated 1.3 GWe each, and based on Westinghouse design, were ordered following the Messmer Plan and deliver full power since 1987. Unit 3 is an EPR unit with a nameplate capacity of 1.65 GWe connected to the grid in December 2024 and reached full power in December 2025. The power plant produced 18.9 TWh in 2005, which amounted to 4% of the electricity production in France. In 2006 there were 671 workers regularly working at the plant. In 2023, 11,7 TWh were produced with 1400 regular workers.
Construction of unit 3 began in 2007 with its commercial introduction scheduled for 2012. In charge Areva proved unable to manage this project (just like Olkiluoto 3), leading to the ultimate demise of the company. Various safety problems have been raised, including weakness in the steel used in the reactor. In July 2019, further delays were announced, pushing back the commercial introduction date to the end of 2022. As of 2020 the project was more than five times over budget. In January 2022, more delays were announced, with fuel loading continuing until mid-2023, and again in December 2022, delaying fuel loading to early 2024. Fuel loading was completed in May 2024. The reactor eventually started up in early September 2024. and was connected to the grid at 11:48 AM on 21 December 2024.
