Cape Town - President Emmanuel Macron told French citizens on Wednesday that there were tough months ahead, with his government warning that there may be increases in energy prices as the war in Ukraine grinds on.
French households and businesses are adopting the government’s call for “energy saving” with responsible consumption of electricity and gas amid the risk of shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to energy experts in France, which is Europe’s largest producer of nuclear power, several plants along the Rhone and Garonne rivers were forced to reduce output because river temperatures were too high to cool the plants.
This further reduced the power supply after the shutdown of a dozen of the country’s 56 nuclear plants for planned maintenance.
Here’s why France is facing the prospect of blackouts during its winter.
– High temperatures in river water are reportedly forcing Electricite de France SA (EDF) to cut power generation at some of its nuclear plants.
– Owing to Russia’s war in Ukraine, French authorities said in July that they were preparing for a total cut-off of Russian gas.
– Gas prices in particular have soared 40.9% between December 2020 and October 2021, even though gas is consumed to a lesser extent by households, according to a recent report on economic outlook by France’s statistics agency, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).
– Concerns about gas supply from Russia as France grapples with already limited electricity generation due to unexpected maintenance at its ageing nuclear reactors.
– French gas users whose consumption exceeds 5 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year would be the first group impacted by load shedding.
– In April, gas transport network operator GRTgaz said it had put in place measures that can be invoked to limit gas supply to customers in the event of shortages, and called on suppliers to fill underground storage ahead of the next winter.
In 2020, France closed down its two oldest nuclear units at the Fessenheim Power Station amid environmental concerns.
According to France24, the country is reviving an anti-waste campaign first rolled out in the 1970s.
Shops that use air conditioning, for example, must keep their doors closed or face a fine.
France's government has also reconsidered a decision to close down a coal-fired station, despite an outcry from environmental campaigners.
IOL