Margaux Fodéré (in Orléans) 6:16 a.m., November 23, 2022

In the event of a red alert this winter, the RTE network manager may ask Enedis to cut off electricity temporarily during peak consumption, between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Europe 1 went to the Center-Val-de-Loire regional driving agency in Orléans to see what this load shedding would look like.

At the end of last week, the RTE network manager warned of the risk of voltage on the electricity network at the start of 2023. In the event of a red alert, the manager may ask Enedis, in charge of electricity distribution, to cut electricity temporarily during peak consumption, between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

The objective will be to avoid the general blackout.

What would this load shedding actually look like?

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Europe 1 was able to go to the Center-Val-de-Loire regional driving agency of Enedis in Orléans, one of the 28 agencies that will be able to organize the operation.

A cut that can only be ordered by RTE

On a model controlled by a dashboard, Sébastien Sarrazin, head of the agency, simulates load shedding.

This power outage can only be ordered by RTE.

“There, we have a first departure which has been cut, it is a 20,000 volt line. This cut will last approximately two hours”, he explains at the microphone of Europe 1. “When we have achieved these two hours, we will resupply the customers who had been cut, and therefore go and impact another power line", explains the manager.

Finally, "once everything is over, we will resupply all customers", informs Sébastien Sarrazin.

This solution will only be triggered as a last resort, in particular after having lowered the voltage on the network.

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Priority sites preserved from cuts 

The operation will then be managed by an algorithm, which will preserve priority sites, such as hospitals.

"The algorithm will be able, fairly for all individuals, to choose the feeders that will allow us to respect the load shedding imposed on us by RTE. And ensure that if a customer has been cut off for around two hours, it will not be for the next two hours", specifies the manager of the regional driving agency of Center-Val-de-Loire d'Enedis.

The departments that may be affected will be indicated by the Ecowatt application on the eve of the cuts, in the evening, during the finalization of the operation.

"On all the simulations, in ten to twenty minutes, we are ready to trigger for the next day", warns Sébastien Sarrazin.

Load shedding may still be canceled until the last moment.