“The outlook is much more favorable than last year,” underlines a note from the French electricity network manager.
Unlike last year, France should spend the winter free from any risk of power cuts. In its Outlook note for the electricity system for winter 2023-24, published Wednesday November 8, the French electricity network manager estimates that “the risk weighing on security of supply appears low for the coming months”. While the French continue to consume less under the effect of high prices and sobriety campaigns, “the outlook is much more favorable than last year”, underlines RTE, even if “the winter availability of the nuclear fleet remains lower than in the 2010s”.
For Xavier Piechaczyk, Chairman of the RTE Board of Directors, the risk of load shedding, envisaged in the winter of 2022-23 as a last resort, is “very weak”. Likewise, the Ecowatt alert system, intended to warn users of a risk of tension on the network and to call for a shift in consumption, should remain green all winter. And for good reason, the manager’s note underlines that“a notable proportion of the nuclear fleet was able to be checked and repaired during the year”, that hydraulic and gas stocks are “raised for the season” and “Renewable energies have continued to develop.”
A drop in demand
“The use of safeguards would only materialize in very degraded scenarios combining several unfavorable hazards”however, warns RTE which cites among the risks a “rapid recovery in consumption”, of the “delays on returns from shutdowns of nuclear power plants”, a “severe cold wave”or even “strong limitations on imports”.
From a demand point of view, efforts towards sobriety and efficiency are starting to bear fruit, with electricity consumption today still around 8% below the 2014-2019 reference period.
“Saving measures and shifting consumption must continue over time,” However, RTE warns on its website. Thus, in addition to its alert function, the Ecowatt application now allows you to know the hours during which France can fully cover its electricity needs “from 100% carbon-free French electricity production“, or does not emit greenhouse gases, responsible for the acceleration of global warming.