On Saturday, French newspaper Le Monde stated, according to an estimate by EDF, a power utility, it would cost at least $51 billion (46 billion euros) to build six of its latest generation EPR nuclear reactors, if the French government wants to build them.

The estimate, part of a confidential set of documents, was presented to the board of state-controlled EDF at the end of July, said Le Monde.

EDF declined requests for comments.

The EPR model is the latest generation reactor being built by EDF, with complex engineering and enhanced safety features put in place after the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan. The Flamanville EPR reactor, under construction in France, has been plagued by technical problems and cost overruns and as a result in seeing years of delays.

In October, EDF, had said, the project which began in 2006 would cost 1.5 billion euros more than previously expected, raising the total cost to 12.4 billion euros.

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