No alert on energy consumption. With a peak of more than 82 GW at 7 p.m., Monday was a test day. But the electricity system has “overcome” this first winter consumption peak by requesting “all available means of production” and the help of European countries, explains to AFP the manager of the electricity transmission network RTE. .
While France shivers, the signal from the EcoWatt alert platform remained green on Monday and will remain so all week, explained to AFP Jean-Paul Roubin, executive director customers and operation of the electrical system of RTE.
How did the electrical system absorb this first peak?
With the return to the network of three reactors at the end of last week, on Monday the nuclear fleet reached a maximum of around 41 GW of available capacity (out of a total of 61.4 GW installed). All of the power available from the two remaining coal-fired power plants in Cordemais and Saint-Avold in France was used up to 1.8 GW, the same for the gas-fired power plants (9.5 GW) as well as for wind and photovoltaic production.
As the wind picked up, wind generation was able to be increased in the evening to 5.5 GW (1.8 in the morning), which helped to cover consumption more widely at 7 p.m., and to use less ‘imports.
What was the role of our European neighbours?
This production available in France was supplemented by imports: up to 7 GW at 9 a.m. and around 5.8 GW at 7 p.m. (in net balance), which remains very far from the maximum capacities (between 13 and 15 GW ). We imported net from neighboring countries and part of it went back to England when it needed electricity. However, RTE has halved its exports to the United Kingdom.
For the third time in 2022 (after July 20 and 25), a mechanism of mutual assistance contracts with Italy, Belgium and Switzerland was activated between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to obtain 1.25 GW of additional imports. This set made it possible to cover consumption and to have sufficient margins so as not to have to place Monday as an orange signal on EcoWatt, nor any day of the week.
Between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., we were also able to benefit from 0.7 GW of “shaving” of electricity consumption from voluntary French companies that participate in a real-time adjustment mechanism, which represents the equivalent of one unit coal production. All the means at our disposal were sufficient and we did not have to resort to emergency measures: interruptibility (voluntary shutdown of large industrialists), voltage drop and, the ultimate means, signaled by a red alert : shedding.
And the next few weeks?
We overcame the highest peak of this winter in good conditions with 2 GW of uncommitted available production capacity, we had the margin to respond to a hazard. This peak was below the 2022 peak (87 GW on January 14).
Until the end of the year, there is no risk of an orange or red signal. Temperatures are getting warmer and economic activity will decrease with the start of the holidays, consumption will drop. In addition, all of the actions contribute to securing the electrical system with an observed drop in electricity consumption approaching 10%.
For the beginning of January, it is much too early to know if we will have orange or red signals because everything will depend on the weather conditions. But if the nuclear recovery trajectory is confirmed, this will secure the month of January.