France Moves To Mine Bitcoin With Nuclear Power — Here’s What We Know

France is moving into a new phase of cryptocurrency adoption, as the country’s far-right political party, Rassemblement National (RN), is reportedly drafting a new law that would allow unused nuclear power to fuel Bitcoin mining operations. According to French newspaper Le Monde, party leader and three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen promoted the plan during a visit to the Flamanville nuclear plant on March 11, calling it a smart way to turn wasted electricity into “secure and extremely profitable” digital assets. 

France Pushes New Plan To Mine Bitcoin With Nuclear Energy

Rassemblement National’s proposal is now one of the most talked-about crypto developments in France. The party argues that since France often produces more electricity than it can use, the extra power shouldn’t go to waste. Leading the charge is RN lawmaker Aurélien Lopez-Liguori. He has drafted a bill to install Bitcoin mining equipment at nuclear sites run by Électricité de France (EDF), the country’s state-owned power company. 

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The proposal aims to redirect the country’s unused nuclear energy, up to one gigawatt of surplus energy from these plants, straight into Bitcoin mining facilities. Since France generates over 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy, when supply exceeds demand, energy companies sell the extra electricity at a loss or even pay neighboring countries to take it off their hands. 

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Instead of selling the extra power at a loss, France would use it for something more valuable: mine Bitcoin and keep the profits. The bill, submitted to the French National Assembly on July 11, 2025, includes a five-year pilot program that will allow power producers to set up mining operations right at nuclear plants with internal projections that could bring in between $100 million and $150 million each year.

A Political Turnaround: From Crypto Skeptics To Advocates

The Rassemblement National’s push for Bitcoin mining marks a dramatic shift in the party’s stance on cryptocurrency. In 2016, Marine Le Pen was strongly against crypto, warning that it would strip citizens of their financial control and give more power to global banks, calling for a complete ban on its use in France. 

However, by 2022, Le Pen had begun to soften her tone, showing support for regulated crypto use in finance. Now in 2025, she’s openly backing Bitcoin mining as part of a national strategy, which reflects how far both her party and the broader political conversation have evolved on crypto. After a similar proposal failed in June 2025, Lawmaker Lopez-Liguori reworked the draft to focus more on national infrastructure and economic recovery, claiming the plan would help make France more economically independent while solving a long-standing energy problem.

If passed, France would become the first country in Europe to officially link state-backed Bitcoin mining with nuclear energy, setting an example for other nations looking to monetize excess renewable or nuclear power. 

featured image from Unsplash, chart from Tradingview.com

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