Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

First winter cold snap tests French power grid

First winter cold snap tests French power grid

Temperatures hovering near zero in coming days will test the resilience of France's power network, even as President Emmanuel Macron urged the French not to panic amid warnings of possible blackouts.
Temperatures hovering near zero in coming days will test the resilience of France's power network, even as President Emmanuel Macron urged the French not to panic amid warnings of possible blackouts.

French utility EDF saw its electricity output drop to a 30-year low earlier in 2022 due to a record number of nuclear reactor outages arising from corrosion problems, and it is racing against time to ensure its fleet can run at full capacity for the depths of winter.

French utility EDF saw its electricity output drop to a 30-year low earlier in 2022 due to a record number of nuclear reactor outages, and it is racing against time to ensure its fleet can run at full capacity for the depths of winter.

France is more vulnerable to Europe's energy crisis, unleashed by the fallout from the war in Ukraine, than some other European nations due to low nuclear availability and demand there being particularly temperature-sensitive, said Jean-Paul Harreman, director of EnAppSys energy consultancy.

After an unusually mild November helped reduce electricity use in France, temperatures dropped on Monday and are set to linger near zero later this week and next.

On Monday, lower-than-forecast nuclear availability was offset by higher imports from all of France's neighbours and high production from gas-fired power plants.

RTE's EcoWatt alert app - which the government is urging people to download to be warned of peaks in demand or risk of cuts - remained green.

"It is not cold enough for that yet, but we do see France hitting its import limitations," Harreman said.

Refinitiv analyst Nathalie Gerl said that with forecasts showing colder temperatures next week, "the coming Monday Dec. 12th will be even tighter.

"Consumption is set to peak at 80 GW (versus 73 GW on Dec. 5), while wind power is expected to be below normal. Should the nuclear availability remain at 37-38 GW the supply gap risk will be much more acute than today," she said.

Government ministers have warned of possible power outages in case of a gap between supply and demand, which they said would last no longer than two hours and be flagged in advance.

Warnings abound, with telecoms operator Orange (ORAN.PA) saying emergency phone calls may not be possible in parts of France if there are prolonged power cuts, and France's Banking Federation (FBF) acknowledging cash machines would be affected.

"First of all, let us be clear: no panic!" Macron told TF1 television at the weekend.

He added: "It is legitimate for the government to prepare for the extreme cases which would mean cutting off electricity for a few hours per day if we did not have enough power."

Meanwhile, further delays on nuclear reactors were announced on Monday.

A pair of the 900 megawatt (MW) Dampierre reactors in central France had their outages extended, with the second reactor in the park being pushed back 10 days to Dec. 19 and the third reactor being extended six days to Dec. 12.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Japanese Customer Sways from VW to BYD after “Unbelievable” Test Drive amid Dealership Expansion
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
White House Eyes Budapest for Peace Talks
Cave Diving Beneath the Streets of Budapest
Another American Restaurant Chain Opens in Budapest
Hungarian Opposition Politician Supports Ukrainian Commander
Opposition Leader Threatens Media Outlets
American Airlines Adds New Flights to Budapest
F1 Hungarian Grand Prix Wraps Up
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
U.S. Trade Representative says Washington still negotiating trade deals after court rules tariffs illegal
Von der Leyen says Europe drawing up 'precise' plans to send troops to Ukraine
Kremlin accuses Europe of hindering Trump’s peace efforts in Ukraine
×