France still lagging behind in renewables, despite progress in solar

In 2023, the country did even worse than in 2022, with 4,5 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity connected, compared to 5,3 GW the previous year, according to the annual Observ'ER Barometer published Thursday.

At the end of September 2023, it had more than 70 GW of renewable electricity installations, which are 37% of dams, built decades ago. The other main sectors are wind power (22,5 GW) and photovoltaic solar (19 GW).

Solar energy has recovered "spectacularly", underlines the report, produced with the National Federation of Granting and Governed Communities (FNCCR) and Ademe, the ecological transition agency.

“A few years ago we were heading towards the wall!”, notes one of the authors, Frédéric Tuillé, who notes a “change in dynamic”.

The sector has installed 8 GW in three years, as much as in the period 2012-2020. A success driven by large roofs and the self-consumption of individuals, craftsmen, businesses, communities, etc. wishing to ensure stable and predictable supplies and prices in a context of energy crisis.

At 19 GW at the end of September and 19,5 GW expected at the end of 2023, photovoltaics should approach the objective set by the State of 20,1 GW at the end of 2023, notes the report.

On the other hand, activity in the segment of very large installations (1 MW and more) is “much more erratic”, points out the report.

This is also cautious for the following objectives, set by previous State decisions at 35,1 GW-44 GW for the end of 2028, and notes that solar energy should therefore accelerate further.

“Not reassuring”

On the other hand, no improvement observed in onshore wind power, with around 1 GW installed last year.

With a total of 22,3 GW connected at the end of 2023, France ends up far from its objective of 24,1 GW for the end of 2023. In comparison, Germany had 66,2 GW of wind power at the end of 2022 (including 8 GW of 'offshore).

The accumulation of regulatory and administrative obstacles brings to seven years the average time to obtain construction authorization, free of appeals, or more than double the time than in other European countries, explain the authors.

To achieve the current objectives of 33,2-34,7 GW by the end of 2028, the rate of deployment would need to be doubled, to 2 GW per year.

France adopted a law in 2023 to “accelerate renewable energies”. But “eleven months later, we are still waiting for implementing decrees,” lamented Richard Chamaret, of the FNCCR and president of Territoire d’énergie Mayenne.

In particular on the possibility for communities to enter into contracts with local electricity producers. And on agrivoltaism. So many decrees expected from the territories, ready for renewables a fortiori "if they participate in it, with added value which remains" on site, he says.

Vincent Jacques Le Seigneur, president of the Observ'ER association, was alarmed by the latest government decisions.

"The latest signals worry me": the disappearance of the Ministry dedicated to Energy after the mid-January reshuffle, the transmission to the European Commission of an energy climate plan without quantified objectives for renewables -- but including the nuclear... "All this is not reassuring for the development of renewable energies in our country".

France had already been called to order by Brussels, the only one in the EU not to have respected its commitment for 2020.

Marine energies, geothermal energy, biomass and waste for their part still account for a minimal share (4% of the country's green electricity capacities).

Marine wind power, with the connection of new parks (Saint-Brieuc, Fécamp), must however contribute to accelerating the movement, and subsequently the country has launched public debates, along the seafront, on the uses of the sea.

In 2022, the renewable energy sector covered 28% of electricity consumption in France. It represents more than 69.000 direct jobs, for a turnover of 17,15 billion euros.