Business of Plogoff

The business of Plogoff indicates the project of installation of a Nuclear plant on the commune of Plogoff and the popular mobilization that this project started against him enters 1978 and 1981. The demonstrations led to its abandonment. In the collective memory of the antinuclear Mouvement French this mobilization remains one of the rare successes obtained by the populations directly concerned with the establishment of a nuclear plant.

Historical context

During the Years 1970, the France develops its program of installation of nuclear plants, in order to decrease its energy dependence with respect to the fossil energies.

The construction of a nuclear plant in Brittany is planned in order to reduce its energy deficit. Indeed, the electric production sites are (at the time, like today) far away from Brittany. Routing of electricity on long distances induced of on-line losses, which is expensive at EDF. Moreover, more the distance is important between the production site and the site of consumption and more the risk of cut are important.

The tidal Power plant of Rancid the provided then, with 600 million kWh, 90% of the production of the Région Brittany, corresponding to 3% of its consumption.

According to Gerard Borvon, then opposing to the project of installation of a nuclear plant in Brittany, the Thermo plant of Cordemais in Loire-Atlantique produced more electricity than that consumed by the five Breton departments.

January 30th, 1980: the files for the investigation of public utility are delivered with the town hall of Plogoff, they are flarings the afternoon, in front of the town hall of Plogoff
January 31st, 1980: beginning of the investigation of public utility. Violent demonstrations take place.
March 16th, 1980: 50 000 people express at the time of the investigation closure of public utility.
100 to 150.000 demonstrators celebrates the end of the procedure on May 24th, 1980; 50 to 60.000 remain for the fest-noz which encloses the festival

François Mitterrand, which promised in its 110 Proposals to freeze the construction of new power stations, is elected president on May 10th, 1981. The project is then abandoned. Thereafter, the point of the Strong current becomes Grand national site.

Committed arsenal and manpower

7 squadrons of member of the anti-riot polices are stationed with Bridge-Cross and Loctudy and intervene with Plogoff and in common the close relations. They are sometimes mobilized with Quimper at the sides of the urban police force and of the CRS at the time of the demonstrations in this city, sits of the Court of Bankruptcy which holds several lawsuits against the challenged demonstrators. The gendarme-parachutists were deployed in reinforcement.

The member of the anti-riot polices use sometimes armor-plated on wheels with Plogoff and two water cannons with Quimper. A helicopter monitors the demonstrators in order to protect displacements from the city hall annexes. Vehicles of the military Engineering come from Angers will be mobilized to cross the barricades.

Concerning the armament, stun grenades will be used in great number, of which “instantatanées teargas grenades” (Tolite + gas CS) (for example 85 on Friday, March 14, last day of the investigation of public utility). Bromo acetate of ethyl, although prohibited, seems to be used by the urban police force at the time of riots with Quimper which would have thus liquidated of old stocks.

Consequences

Following a mobilization important, initially local then come from whole France and even from abroad, the project was given up, which represented a first in France. In 1989, the natural site was classified.

Always current problem

The west of Brittany is fed, as the remainder of France, by the network of RTE. The power station nearest is that of Cordemais (thermal) in Loire-Atlantique. On-line losses are expensive RTE. According to France 3, “ the average distance between a power station and the customers is of 80 km. Between Cordemais and Brest, there are 300 km ”.

In December 2006, the Région Brittany produces hardly 5 % of the equivalent in electricity which it consumes. This situation makes the consumers vulnerable to the unballastings of EDF.

Many projects thus aim at reducing these on-line losses and the risks of Délestage S. Gaz de France builds a Thermo plant with gas with Mounting block-of-Brittany in Loire-Atlantique while RTE launched an invitation to tender in order to build a plant for gas close to Saint-Brieuc. At the beginning of 2007, RTE installed two stabilizers of tension of the type CSPR (compensation statics of power reactivates) with Plain-High (close to Saint-Brieuc) and with Post-Red (close to Lorient). The purpose of these installations respectively having 100 Mva and 140 M GOES are to reduce the risks of cut which had with the distance of the production sites.

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