It lies on the border of two French municipalities: Penly and Saint-Martin-en-Campagne in the département of Seine-Maritime, Normandy, on the English Channel coast.

[1] The plant employs about 670 people full-time and is owned and operated by the French company Électricité de France.

[3] In 2011, following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, EDF postponed public consultations putting in doubt the 2012 construction start date.

[5][6] In 2019, EDF is seeking a site for the construction of a pair of EPR reactors, and Penly is considered as one of the lead contenders.

[8] 9 June 2004 - Weakly radioactive water was leaked into the sea from the reserve tank of a reactor's secondary circuit.