Martin in an interview with Le Journal de Dimanche (JDD) was quoted as saying "Francois Hollande’s nuclear commitments will be held in the five-year period."

"I have a warrant, I shut Fessenheim by 31 December 2016," Martin added.

France is mainly dependent on nuclear power, with its 58 nuclear reactors producing nearly 75% of the nation’s electricity.

French President Hollande had promised in his election campaign to reduce the share of nuclear energy in France’s electricity production to 50% by 2025.

A group of Greenpeace activists had earlier entered a French nuclear power plant in Tricastin in southern France, demanding the government to shut down the plant citing safety concerns.