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Trying to contain electricity bills is the objective of the French government. This turns out to be a real challenge, because a dozen nuclear reactors are shut down in France. To avoid a major power outage, some factories could thus be disconnected for a few hours.
In Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne (Savoie), an aluminum factory risks being disconnected at any time, deprived of electricity to relieve the French network. “We consume the equivalent, roughly, of the city of Lyon within the city walls, (…) these are very impressive amounts of energy”, reports Nicolas Ligonesche, head of the foundry department. In the event of network overheating, the plant can be shut down to avoid cutting off electricity to individuals.
In an electrical station, cuts are rare, but when they happen, everyone remembers them. “It’s brutal, we can be in the middle of work. In less than five seconds, after the trigger order (…), all the buttons are triggered instantly”, explains Rémi Sehier, electrician. In return for these cuts, the stations are compensated several million euros each year. In the event of a malfunction, if the cut does not take place, the factory is held responsible, and risks penalties.
TEN
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