France Loses Its First Position In Europe In The Production Of Electricity
After being an exporter of electricity, France turned into an importer and lost its position as the first exporter of electricity in Europe in the first half of 2022. It was replaced by Sweden in the lead, according to a report issued by energy data analyst Enab Sys.
The report - issued on the tenth of August - indicated that the main reason is the strong decline in French production, and not as a result of the rise in production in Sweden.
On his part, the Director of Enab Ciss Jean-Paul Harman pointed out that France suffers from structural problems with its nuclear facilities, warning that the difficulties it is currently facing will continue and that the situation does not show signs of improvement soon.
In addition to the heat wave that forced the authorities to close some nuclear power plants, due to the high temperatures in the rivers that cool the reactors.
And it came in second place after Sweden (which exported 16 TW/hour), Germany, which doubled its production compared to 2021; This is mainly to meet French demand, and in the first half of this year it exported 15.4 TWh of electricity to its neighbors, according to the same report.
Nuclear battalion
On his part, Georges Lucent, an international expert in energy and former president of the International Federation of Electricity Producers and Distributors, said that during the well-known oil crisis in 1973, France decided to acquire a nuclear battalion of 58 reactors with the aim of ensuring the country's independence in electricity supply.
During the past decades, the state covered its electricity needs with 75-80% of nuclear energy, and about 10% of hydraulics. This nuclear battalion enabled the National Electric Power Company to achieve surplus production and export a large part of its production thanks to the European connection.
He continued - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - "I think that the decline in electricity production in France is due to the old age of the French nuclear reactors, as the first series of "Buggy-Trecasten" reactors is about 40 years old. In addition to that, the "Weisenheim" reactors were closed 1 and 2 years ago. 2021".
France has long ago abandoned most of its power plants that depend on fossil fuels and replaced them with nuclear power plants. The share of electricity produced through fossil fuels in 2020 was about 7.5%, divided into 0.3% through coal and 6.9% with gas.
Nationalization of the Electricity Company
To face these natural and structural problems, the mounting pressures of the Russo-Ukrainian war, the growing demand for energy, and the rising prices of electricity and gas; Earlier last month, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced plans to fully re-nationalize the French electricity company EDF.
"We must guarantee our sovereignty in light of the fallout from the war in Ukraine. I confirm the government's intention to own 100% of the capital of EDF," Bourne said at the time before Parliament.
Lucent applauded this step and the decision to re-nationalize. He noted that the current circumstances require such decisions to control the electricity and energy market.
However, he added, "We in France are going through a sensitive period during which we will have to limit our consumption, especially with the gas crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. The difficulties have increased and been further complicated by the delay in starting the exploitation of the European pressurized nuclear reactor Flamenville."
He concluded that it was time for the political authority to make clear decisions regarding energy policy.
Economy Adjustment
According to experts and observers, the Russian-Ukrainian war cast a shadow not only on the level of decline in electricity production in France, but on the rise in electricity and energy prices and the deterioration of the purchasing power of the French citizen as well. This raises a question about the repercussions of this war on the French economy and its relationship with the significant decline in electricity production.
In his answer to this question, the former president of the International Federation of Electricity Producers and Distributors noted that the French have benefited for several decades from the cheaper electricity price in Europe thanks to “nuclear rent”. But today they will have to get used to paying for electricity and energy at its real price because investment and electricity production is a capitalist activity.
He explained, "Energy will be very expensive in the future, and our economies must adapt to this reality. The measures taken by the government are only temporary and will not be able to hide the complex reality for a long time."
New nuclear strategy
Last February, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a strategic plan to build 6 new nuclear plants, by EDF by 2050.
Macron explained that the first new reactor will start operating by 2035, adding that studies will be launched for 8 other reactors, apart from the 6 new initial stations.
At the time, EDF estimated the cost of 6 new reactors at about 50 billion euros, according to the financing terms.
In the same context, the French Prime Minister stressed that the green transition will be achieved with the help of nuclear energy. In order for France to become the first major country in the world that can completely dispense with fossil fuels, it will expand its capabilities in nuclear and renewable energy.
Global warming danger
The recent heat wave forced the French government to close some nuclear power plants due to rising temperatures in the rivers that cool the reactors, and many facilities are facing erosion problems that have led to the closure of 12 of France's 58 plants.
According to the French Bureau of Geological Research and Minerals, the average annual decrease in the annual flow of rivers in France could range between 10-40% by 2050, and there is a greater potential for concern during the summer when the level of rivers may drop to 60%.
For George Lucent, thermal and nuclear power plants are subject to the laws of physics and need water to cool them and ensure their safety. In his opinion, the high temperature of rivers in summer will increase the problem of using cold sources and will lead to restrictions on reducing energy. So it is necessary to put more reactors Beside the sea.
It is certain that nuclear facilities cooled by sea water are not affected by the problem of receding water. But its height is what preoccupies climate scientists today.
