French electricity exports hit a record in the first half

After the crises of 2020 and 2022, French electricity production stood at 272 terawatt hours (TWh) at mid-year, the highest since 2019, in particular thanks to "exceptionally high" hydraulic activity, underlines RTE in its electricity report semi-annual, published Tuesday.

French dams produced 41 TWh during the first six months of the year, i.e. +37% in volume compared to 2023 and +13% compared to the 2000-2020 average, mainly thanks to the winter and spring rains which have completed.

Nuclear production, affected in recent years by a corrosion phenomenon on certain reactors, "continues to rise", to 177 TWh, up 12% compared to last year, but still down 14% compared to 2000-2020.

Renewable production (wind, solar) for its part is "increasing gradually", with a production of 25,5 TWh for wind power, and 11,4 TWh for photovoltaics (+3% and +5%).

Fossil thermal production, notably from gas, has on the other hand “never been so low since the 1950s”, at 11,5 TWh, a reduction of 54% compared to 2000-2020. In particular, coal-fired power plants have only operated for around XNUMX hours since the start of the year.

96% carbon-free electricity

“In the first half, 96% of French electricity production was decarbonized,” underlined Thomas Veyrenc, general director in charge of economy and strategy at RTE, referring to an “exceptional performance”.

Consumption remains behind compared to before the energy crisis of 2022.

A “well-anchored trend”, launched at the end of the 2010s with progress in energy efficiency, and accentuated by the crises of 2020 (Covid) and especially 2022 (sobriety and reaction to rising prices), notes RTE.

The desire to electrify uses (cars, etc.) to replace fossil fuels which warm the climate does not yet reverse the trend: the extent and horizon of this change still remain "uncertain".

Result: good security of supply ("no risk of summer outages") and very low greenhouse gas emissions for the French electricity system.

Another consequence, France broke its net export record to neighboring countries in the first half, at 42 TWh net (compared to 13 TWh last year at the same period).

If this trend continues in the second half, the annual net export record (dating from 2002, at 77 TWh) will be broken, according to RTE.

“These exports contribute very positively to the trade balance,” underlines Mr. Veyrenc. They are also "a response to certain people who think that the nuclear and renewable sectors are in rivalry. And tomorrow, as we will have more electricity consumption, we will be happy to have this low carbon system".

In 2022, due to the energy crisis and the unavailability of part of the nuclear fleet due to corrosion problems in certain power plants, France found itself a net importer for the first time since 1980. The year 2023 marked a return to a net export balance, thanks to the recovery in production.

In March and April, the export balance towards Germany and Belgium "exceeded the maximum levels observed over the last ten years", and it remained "close to the average values ​​on the Italian and Swiss borders", notes the report .

Along with Spain, France was an importer from January to April "because wholesale market prices were lower in Spain than in France". The balance was reversed in May and June "when French prices were on average below Spanish prices".