page_title: Nuclear power in France
section_title: 1450 MWe class (N4 design)
hierarchical_section_title: Nuclear power in France / Technical overview / 1450 MWe class (N4 design)
context_page_description: Nuclear power is the largest source of electricity in France, with a generation of 379.5 TWh, or 70.6% of the country's total electricity production of 537.7 TWh, the highest percentage in the world.
  Électricité de France – the country's main electricity generation and distribution company – manages the country's 58 power reactors. EDF is substantially owned by the French Government, with around 85% shares in government hands.
  France exported 38 TWh of electricity to its neighbours in 2017. The country becomes a net importer of electricity when demand exceeds supply, in rare cases of very inclement weather.
context_section_description: There are only 4 of these reactors, housed at two separate sites: Civaux and Chooz. Construction of these reactors started between 1984 and 1991, but full commercial operation did not begin until between 2000 and 2002 because of thermal fatigue flaws in the heat removal system requiring the redesign and replacement of parts in each N4 power station. In 2003 the stations were all uprated to 1500 MWe.
caption: The Civaux site houses two 1450 MWe class reactors, the most recent design operating today
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