Renewables 2021: France still struggling, wind power very late

Last year appears at first sight "as a very good year but this result is deceptive because mainly driven by the photovoltaic sector", notes the Obser'ER observatory with Ademe and the Federation of communities grantors and agencies (FNCCR) in their 12th Barometer.

Solar photovoltaic represented more than half of the new capacities connected, to reach more than 13,2 GW currently available.

This sector, whose objective set out in the law is 20,1 GW at the end of 2023, exceeds for the first time in France the 2 GW of additional unit power connected in one year. "But for the future, the players remain cautious," notes the balance sheet.

Wind power, on the other hand, only gained 1 GW, a figure twice lower than what is required by the objectives of France's energy roadmap voted in 2020.

The country, which missed its 2020% renewable electricity consumption target in 27, is therefore not achieving it in 2021 either, underlines the report.

In onshore wind power, total installed capacity at the end of September amounted to 18.544 megawatts (more than 18,5 GW). The sector, which deplores in particular the slowness in issuing authorizations, thus deviates from the necessary trajectory when its objective is 24,1 GW at the end of 2023 and 33,2-34,7 GW at the end of 2028.

Offshore, the country's first marine park is due to start in the spring of 2022 (off Saint-Nazaire), a sector which is more than ten years behind schedule under the effect in particular of appeals.

All the energy scenarios, published by the high-voltage network operator RTE and by Ademe, underline the need for a massive deployment of renewables, if the country wants to achieve its objective of carbon neutrality in the face of global warming by 2050.