French nuclear, hydro output cut by strikes over reform plan

Strikes by workers protesting against a French nuclear reform plan cut nuclear power generation by about 2.3 gigawatts (GW) by 1322 GMT Tuesday and by 380 megawatts at hydropower stations, EDF data showed.

That represented around 3.2% of available production capacity as of Tuesday afternoon, data from RTE and EDF showed. EDF had said that around 23.8% of workers participated in Tuesday's action, compared with 28.6% in a previous stoppage last month.

The reform plan that has provoked the strikes involves splitting EDF between its nuclear and renewable energy activities, which unions fear would pave the way for the group to be dismantled and privatised.

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