PARIS (Reuters) - France may close as many as 17 reactors by 2025 as it seeks to reduce the share of nuclear power in its electricity mix, Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot said on Monday.

Speaking on RTL radio, Hulot referred to new Prime Minister Edouard Philippe’s decision to stick to the previous government’s goal of cutting the nuclear contribution to 50 percent of France’s electricity needs from 75 percent currently.

“To meet the target it’s clear enough that you need to close a certain number of reactors,” Hulot said. “It could be as many as 17 reactors - we’ll have to take a closer look.”