Eight activists and the head of Greenpeace in France were in court on Wednesday for forcefully entering a nuclear power station in the village of Cattenom last October.

A court in the eastern town of Thionville accuses the eight defendants of committing willful damage to property. If convicted, they could each face up to five years in prison and fines of up to €75,000 ($90,125)

The environmental activists had reportedly broken through two security barriers to reach the inner perimeter of the nuclear facility.

The Greenpeace supporters then filmed themselves while setting off fireworks at the plant to protest France's heavy dependence on nuclear energy. Greenpeace spokesman Yannick Rousselet said the activists had managed to get within 100 meters (109 yards) of open pools of nuclear waste.

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The group said it staged the divisive stunt in order to highlight to highlight the facility's vulnerability to attacks in addition to calls for better protection against nuclear waste.

Known for its daring and often provocative publicity stunts, Greenpeace is lobbying for France to create bunkers for these spent-fuel waste pools.

The Cattenom power plant is located about 35 kilometers (20 miles) north of the city of Metz and less than 20 kilometers south of the border with Germany and Luxembourg, resulting in the security breach causing concern in the neighboring countries as well.

Activists launched fireworks at the Cattenom nuclear plant to highlight its vulnerability

EDF: stunt proves strength of security detail

France's state-owned energy giant EDF, which operates the Cattenom nuclear power station, said that the Greenpeace effort had failed to flag any shortcomings in safety issues, stressing that the environmental activists had been detained eight minutes after entering the site, ensuring the security of the power station as well as their own.

Olivier Lamarre, deputy head of EDF's French nuclear division, said that the Greenpeace activists were cooperative and did not resist arrest.

"Had they been ill-intentioned people, or had there been a doubt about that, things would have happened differently and within a different timeframe," Lamarre stressed at the time of the security breach. Lamarre added that the activists had "proved nothing, other than that the security detail worked perfectly."

In a tweet, EDF also highlighted that the activists had failed to reach Cattenom's so-called "nuclear zone," located behind a third barrier.

Greenpeace had published a report ahead of the stunt saying the spent-fuel pools of EDF's nuclear reactors were highly vulnerable as their confinement walls were not designed with malicious attacks in mind. EDF, however, denied that there were any such risks, stressing that the pools with nuclear waste had been designed to withstand earthquakes and flooding as well as terror attacks.

Changing attitudes towards nuclear power

The arrests and potential legal consequences after the security breach at Cattenom did not deter Greenpeace from staging a similar publicity stunt just weeks later: police arrested 22 activists on November 28 after entering the Cruas-Meysse nuclear plant in France's southeastern Ardeche region, which is also operated by EDF. Greenpeace said that the activists were once again trying to point out a lack of safety precautions around spent nuclear fuel pools.

France is one of the world's most nuclear-dependent country, with 58 reactors providing 75 percent of the country's electricity. The country hosts a total of 63 spent-fuel pools. Environmentalists have long questioned the safety of France's vast nuclear network, but around a third of all reactors in the country are set to be closed by 2025 under current government plans.

Public support of nuclear power has fallen in line with other European countries the nuclear disaster at Japan's Fukushima plant in 2011.

Germany decided to completely phase out its nuclear power program by 2022 following the events at Fukushima.

Does nuclear power have a future? Deadly disaster The worst nuclear disaster of all time, the explosion at Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine released massive amounts of radiation into the atmosphere. Areas close to the plant - in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia - were heavily contaminated. Heightened levels of radiation were also measured across most of Europe. The "exclusion zone" around Chernobyl remains off-limits to human habitation today.

Does nuclear power have a future? It happens again After a magnitude-9 earthquake and consequent tsunami, three nuclear reactors at Fukushima power plant in Japan went into meltdown in March 2011. There were also four hydrogen explosions. The accident released 500 times as much radioactive cesium-137 as the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The clean-up is expected to take decades.

Does nuclear power have a future? Sickening impact After Chernobyl, thousands of people developed cancer. In Japan too, the heavily contaminated region of Fukushima, where 200,000 people lost their homes, saw cases of the disease escalate. The number of children with thyroid cancer there is 20 times higher than other regions.

Does nuclear power have a future? Rallying against nuclear power Chernobyl fueled public opposition to nuclear power, particularly in Europe. The same happened after Fukushima. Before the Japanese disaster, the country relied on nuclear for 30 percent of its power. That has fallen to 1 percent. The government wants to continue producing nuclear power and plans to reinstall some reactors. But affected regions have successfully pushed back those plans.

Does nuclear power have a future? Nuclear industry in crisis Today, the nuclear power sector is deep in economic crisis. In Japan, the United States and France, nuclear power plants run at a loss, and construction projects for new reactors have been postponed.

Does nuclear power have a future? New-build set-backs France had high hopes for its newest nuclear reactors - called pressurized water reactors (PWRs). This technology was supposed to be safe, and the Flamanville power plant was due to be switched on in 2012. Due to security issues, that's been pushed back to 2018 at the earliest. The project will cost more than 10 billion euros - three times the original budget.

Does nuclear power have a future? Great Britain plans new reactors For years, the UK has been planning to build two new PWR reactors at Hinkley Point. Costs are estimated at 33 billion euros and groundbreaking is slated for 2019. But doubts are growing over its economic viability. The electricity it produces will be much pricier than solar or wind power, and will need subsidies to compete in the market.

Does nuclear power have a future? Aging reactors up for grabs Nuclear power plants used to be lucrative. But now, many are old and frail. Repair costs often mean they cannot turn a profit. Swiss energy corporation Alpiq recently tried to give away two of its old plants, 33 and 38 years old, to French energy company EDF - which declined the offer.

Does nuclear power have a future? Disasters abroad prompt German phase-out Three decades ago, the Chernobyl disaster galvanized Germany's anti-nuclear movement, which is often cited as the roots of the country's energy transition. In 2002, Germany passed a law that would have seen the last reactor shut down in 2022. The plan was later scrapped by Angela Merkel's government. But after Fukushima, Merkel quickly reversed her decision and the phase-out was back on track.

Does nuclear power have a future? Switching them off So far, nine of Germany's reactors have gone offline, with eight more to follow by 2022. To finance the costs of nuclear waste disposal, plant operators must pay 23.6 billion euros into a federal fund. The operators themselves are responsible for the similarly costly process of dismantling the plants, which will take decades to complete.

Does nuclear power have a future? Growing fear of accidents Across the EU and Switzerland 132 nuclear reactors are still online. They were designed to operate for 30 to 35 years - their average age is now 32 years. Malfunctions and security issues are frequently detected and protestors are increasingly calling for plants to be shut down.

Does nuclear power have a future? China pushes on with nuclear No new nuclear power plants have been built in the EU, Japan or Russia since the Fukushima disaster in 2011. China remains committed to nuclear, partly to replace coal-based power. But the country is also upping investment in wind and solar. Author: Gero Rueter (sst,jf)



ss/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)