Risks of electricity cuts are now ‘behind us’, according to the French electricity network manager RTE, but not all is back to normal as strikes and a severe drop in temperatures could have a lasting impact on electricity production.
RTE published its latest report on the state of electricity production in France on Wednesday, emphasising that risks of severe electricity cuts were now diminished. This is primarily due to a mild winter so far and increased nuclear energy production following months of maintenance on several nuclear plants.
As such, nuclear capacity is up to 70%, in line with RTE’s long-term projections, RTE’s Chief Thomas Veyrenc told a press conference on Wednesday. A “very satisfactory” situation to be in, he said.
Electricity consumption has also been falling significantly since November. It has dropped 8.5% over the past four weeks, compared to the same time in the 2014-2019 period, mainly due to differences in weather conditions. Gas consumption has also dropped 13% since the summer, and a “gas deficit is now very unlikely” for this winter, Veyrenc added.
This isn’t the end of all worries, however, Veyrenc stressed. The severe drop in temperatures that France has experienced this past week, alongside continued maintenance on nuclear plants and risks of strikes, call for caution.
As for strikes against pensions reform, which start on Thursday, they shall have no effects on electricity consumption but might delay maintenance schedules, RTE warned.
(Paul Messad | EURACTIV.fr)
Source: euractiv.com
