• The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region saw a 14.2% increase in wind energy production in 2021, and 9.2% in solar production.

  • This “very dynamic development of wind power and photovoltaics, thus places New Aquitaine on a trajectory which is in line with the ambition of a carbon-free France by 2050”.

  • While some large-scale projects have difficulty being accepted, RTE must nevertheless provide access to the electricity transmission network for each new installation.

What occupies in the immediate future RTE (Electricity transmission network) is next winter.

Between the fall in nuclear production in France and the international crisis, electricity production could well experience tensions.

This does not prevent the electricity carrier from looking beyond, and in particular towards 2050, the date on which France aims to achieve carbon-free energy production.

To do this, it will be necessary to “reduce final energy consumption by 40% and increase carbon-free electricity consumption by 35% by 2050,” explains Dominique Millan, director of development and engineering at RTE Sud-Ouest.

To achieve this, RTE has established six energy mix scenarios, in which there is a common base: “The significant development of renewable energies” assures Dominique Millan.

“Strong development of solar”

Everything related to carbon-free electricity production is therefore scrutinized.

And New Aquitaine is a good student, with a 14.2% increase in wind energy production in the region in 2021, and 9.2% in solar production.

"The production volume of wind and photovoltaic farms increased sharply last year, with in particular a strong development of solar energy in recent years", observes Dominique Millan.

The renewable energy base experienced a record increase in 2021 in the region, with an increase of 20.3% compared to 2020, mainly thanks to solar.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine thus remains “the leading region in France for solar energy, both in terms of production and installed base.

"And even if certain projects, such as that of Horizeo, a mega solar power plant which is to be installed in Saucats (Gironde), encounter some hostilities locally, RTE must ensure "access to the electricity transmission network with each new installation.

The share of renewable energies in electricity production in New Aquitaine now represents 23.9%, that of nuclear being 74%.

“Nearly 98% of electricity production was maintained over the year by sources that did not emit greenhouse gases,” underlines RTE.

Wind generation in the north, solar generation in the center

Geographically, “wind production is more in the north of the region, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Creuse and Haute-Vienne, analyzes Jacques Tassy, ​​director of the Toulouse operations center at RTE.

The photovoltaic part is mainly in the central part of the region, with a certain number of parks beyond 10 MW in Gironde, in Landes and Béarn.

Hydraulics can of course be found in the south of the region, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

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“The massive development of renewable energies over the past two years has placed the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the trajectory of scenarios for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050,” concludes RTE.

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