- As of Friday, Elisabeth Borne asked the energy companies to organize themselves to ensure the continuity of their service in the event of an epidemic.
- Is the epidemic and the associated containment measures exploding our energy consumption? How do operators, such as EDF or RTE, cope?
- Overview of energy questions posed in France by the coronavirus.
It is one of these essential services to be provided even in times of “coronavirus” crisis: the production and supply of energy to the French. How are operators in the sector organized? Should we worry? Elements of answers.
With containment, does the demand for electricity increase?
On the contrary. "We saw this morning a drop in electricity consumption of about 10% compared to a normal Monday in March," said RTE, the manager of the high-voltage network. And this downward trend should be confirmed again in the coming days, then with the strengthening of the containment measures announced by Emmanuel Macron.
"This decline is mainly due to the slowdown in economic activity, said, a 20-minute spokesperson for RTE. We had already observed a drop in consumption with the closure of restaurants, bars and shops at the end of last week. The same effects are expected if more and more industries temporarily close their factories. PSA, Renault, Michelin… Several companies in the automotive sector announced, on Monday, the closure of their industrial sites in France, and more widely in Europe.
How far will French electricity consumption drop? "The situation is completely new and therefore difficult to predict", we respond to RTE. Eco2mix, a tool that RTE puts online, enables this French electricity consumption to be continuously monitored. At 9 a.m. on Tuesday, French consumption was 59,354 megawatts (MW). It was 68,912 MW a week earlier. "What we also notice is that the curve is smoother than usual," said the spokeswoman for RTE. For example, 9 a.m. usually corresponds to a peak in electricity consumption corresponding to taking up a position in companies. It was less marked on Tuesday. "
Should we fear a drop in electricity production?
Coronavirus or not, the golden rule does not change on the electrical network: there is always a balance to be found so that electricity production is equal to consumption. In “normal” times, consumption is higher from 9 am to 1 pm, then goes back down in the afternoon and goes up in the evening. "The coronavirus epidemic breaks this pattern a little, consumption forecasts are more complicated to draw up," explains the spokesperson for RTE. But, we are used to this adjustment work. Above all, electricity production is today largely sufficient to cover French consumption which, in addition, is falling. It is easier, in this context, to face the situation. "
The whole question, then, is whether EDF will be able to maintain electricity production capacities over the long term, in this context of epidemic. Since the early 2000s, EDF has had a "pandemic" plan * which was updated in 2009, then in 2013, during the H1N1 and SARS crises. It should make it possible to run the 19 French nuclear power plants - which cover 72% of French electricity production - with only 60% of the staff present.
EDF already activated this "pandemic" plan on Monday at its Flamanville (Manche) power station, "in response to the progression of the coronavirus in the Cotentin region and because we also had suspected cases among our employees," said T to the press department of the company. Concretely, only the shift teams and those ensuring safety * and security ** are now authorized to work in the plant. Or 100 people instead of the usual 800. A reduction in staff made easier by the fact that the two reactors of the power station are currently closed for reasons of defense.
This Tuesday noon, this pandemic plan had not been deployed in any other of the 18 French EDF plants. However, the situation can quickly change depending on the spread of the virus. "As of the end of January, in view of the situation in China, we had set up a reinforced coordination unit within the group, then we set up a crisis cell on March 2," we resume at the communication department of the energy company. Since then, we have been in permanent contact with public authorities and all of our sites to deal with the situation. "
Anyway, "there is no threat to electricity production in France," insists EDF. The purpose of a pandemic plan is precisely to ensure the continuity of our activity, even with a reduced workforce. "
What about fuel and gas?
"Fuel is stored and therefore does not pose the same challenges as electricity," said Ufip (French Union of Petroleum Industries). What makes this pandemic easier to manage? "We are not worried," said Alain Castinel, director of communications for the professional organization. Borders are not closed to goods. No supply problem has been reported to us, there has been no incident to date in Italy. "
Regarding the containment measures implemented in France since Monday noon, Alain Castinel recalls that “the oil logistics has already had upheavals and crises. She is robust and agile and people are used to working in degraded modes. "In a refinery, for example, an activity that must be operated 24 hours a day, for a shift, there are six or seven people who take turns, to take into account weekends, holidays, training etc, he illustrates. It will therefore be possible to ensure the continuity of certain functions, even with absences linked to the coronavirus. And common sense measures - wearing masks, respecting distances - are of course taken ”
If there is a coronavirus effect, it is on the prices at the pump which continue to plummet this Monday. In one week, the price of liter of diesel, the best-selling fuel in France, lost 6.01 cents, to 1.3012 euros on average at the pump. "The epidemic and the associated economic slowdown have resulted in a sharp slowdown in demand for oil, especially in China, the leading importing country," confirms Alain Castinel.
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A business continuity plan also initiated at RTE
Like EDF, the manager of the French electricity network claims to have activated a plan to ensure the continuity of its missions, the main one being the supply of electricity to the French. "We have generalized teleworking for missions that can be carried out remotely," said a spokesperson for the group. Regarding the activities to be carried out face-to-face, only those essential for the proper functioning of the electrical network and supply remain maintained. This is for example the management of electricity flows in real time or the maintenance of substations and power lines for example. All non-urgent maintenance operations have been postponed. "
- electricity
- Containment
- Coronavirus
- energy
- Covid 19