The forecasts for the security of electricity supply this autumn and this winter are better than last year when France faced threats of power outages, the manager of the high-voltage network RTE estimated on Wednesday.
Whether it’s this summer, autumn or next winter, “all the parameters are changing favorably from last year” in terms of power supply, Thomas Veyrenc, RTE’s chief executive, told a news conference. There are many reasons for this: “the hydraulic stocks of dams and gas are at ‘very satisfactory levels’, ‘renewable energies’, especially wind energy, ‘are developing’, ‘nuclear is greater’ and ‘electricity consumption keep falling.'” , detailed Thomas Veyrenc.
“Significantly more favorable situation”
It is therefore the opposite situation that France experienced in 2022 when it had to face a “triple crisis”, due to European tensions over gas supplies, but also to a weak nuclear and hydraulic production that raised fears of power outages. this winter. which were finally avoided. In fact, for the year 2023, RTE does not identify “any specific risk in the fall” on the security of supply.
As for winter, “the situation is significantly more favourable” than last year, although “it has not fully returned to normal.” Therefore, “sobriety actions” continue to be “essential” to reduce consumption and save hydraulic and gas stocks, stresses RTE.
Consumption continues to fall in spring
After “the significant drop of around 9%” this winter, consumption continues to fall by around -7%-8% “in spring” compared to the 2014-2019 reference period, corrected for climate data. France should also be able to count on nuclear production in line with TEN’s expectations in 2023, “in the middle of the range, or even slightly below” the 300 to 330 TWh forecast presented by EDF.
RTE has a nuclear park availability of “between 45 and 50 GW” during January 2024, according to Thomas Veyrenc, that is, “above the maximum of last winter” 2022, in this dark year for EDF, which had to do juggling your corrosion problems. With these indicators in good shape, France has effectively “encountered a situation as an exporter of electricity in the European market” since the beginning of the year, which should continue “in the coming months”, while it had been a net importer for most of 2022. .
Source: BFM TV
