No improvement in the energy situation in France for this week of November 21. According to our energy dashboard, 26 of the 56 nuclear reactors are still shut down for overhauls or repairs related to corrosion issues.
Most worrisome is that the restart schedule for these reactors continues to be delayed. If EDF plans to relaunch a dozen at the end of the month, RTE, the manager of the electrical network, once again doubts that this calendar will be respected. According to him, several of these reactors may not be back online until December and the schedule could be pushed back a bit further.
According to RTE, some fifteen reactors, among the most powerful, will remain closed at the beginning of January. A delay that forced the network manager to revise upwards the risk of tensions in the electrical network at the beginning of 2023.
The water level in the dams at 66%
Several reasons explain this delay, starting with the social movements that affected several EDF nuclear power plants and caused the closure of the recharge works for one to three weeks, according to the site, last month. Added to this are delays and technical hazards related to routine maintenance, a cause that RTE however rules out.
The only good news is that the water level in the dams has returned to its usual level, specifically 66%. This quickly mobilized resource will be invaluable next winter. It will thus make it possible to overcome consumption peaks in the event of voltage in the electrical network.
Finally, gas stocks are still at their peak and manufacturers are already planning for next winter, a year from now, to fill stocks as early as next spring. Elengu, which manages the French LNG terminals, is already confident that its LNG delivery capacities will be at full capacity by 2023. Enough to fill our tanks next year, without Russian gas.
Source: BFM TV
