France's latest naval aircraft-carrier will be nuclear powered.

President Macron declared the new vessel will be fully operational by 2038 and will replace the Charles de Gaulle carrier, which has been in service since 2001.

Expected to be the country's biggest warship, it will be 300 meters long and have a deadweight of 75,000 tons and have a crew of 2,000.

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The plans were officially approved during the president's visit to French nuclear power company Framatome, which designs and supplies nuclear services.

 "Our status as a great power lies with you, lies with the nuclear industry," Macron said in a speech.

"Deterrence, submarines, our aircraft carrier, all the things that make France an independent power, listened to and respected, lies with you," he added. "The definitive decision to build new reactors should be prepared and should be taken before 2023 when the Flamanville 3 [reactor] will be in service. 

"Our environmental, ecological future depends on nuclear, with scenarios that we should refine together in the coming months."

Under a long-standing policy France has long favored nuclear power, which provides more than 70 percent of the country's electricity.

France set to invest $1.2 billion in the aircraft-carrier's first development stage, expected to end in 2025.

While the local press have reported the full cost of the warship will be upwards of $6 billion, according to Reuters, officials have declined to confirm the cost estimates.