La Défense (France) (AFP)

France's security of electricity supply must be "vigilant" in 2022-2023, mainly because of the scheduled shutdown of coal-fired power plants, warned Wednesday the high voltage network manager, advocating a reprieve for that of Cordemais (Loire-Atlantique).

In the immediate future, for the winter of 2019-2020, the supply of electricity "should be assured", on the basis of seasonal temperatures, knowing that the months of January and February 2020 look more favorable from the point of view supply than this year, said Wednesday RTE in its forecast.

Indeed, France currently benefits from a large hydraulic stock, despite droughts, and the nuclear fleet should be more available this winter than the previous one.

The risk of tension on the electrical system is lower "even in case of a cold snap," said RTE in documents revealed Wednesday.

The Fessenheim nuclear power plant (Haut-Rhin) is scheduled to close in 2020 while the government has announced that the last four coal plants will be shut down by 2022 for environmental reasons. This promise by President Emmanuel Macron was echoed in the recent energy and climate law.

By 2022, these losses must be offset by the development of new generation resources, with a future gas plant at Landivisiau in Brittany, the development of renewable energies and new interconnections with neighboring countries.

However, RTE identifies a point of "vigilance" in 2022-2023 at the time of the shutdown of the last coal plants. The nuclear fleet is also expected to be less available at this time due to numerous maintenance and security visits.

"If the development of renewable energy continues during this period, in the absence of commissioning of the EPR Flamanville, it is not enough to compensate for closures," warns RTE.

The EPR under construction in the Channel is in fact late because of various problems, lately difficulties with welds that must be taken again, and EDF will not be able to start it before the end of 2022.

- The case of the west -

To face this difficulty, the network manager advocates the control of consumption and "optimization" of nuclear reactor shutdowns for maintenance.

RTE also asks for "the maintenance of availability or conversion to biomass" (wood, vegetables, agricultural waste) of half of the EDF coal-fired power plant at Cordemais (Loire-Atlantique) as long as the EPR is not put into operation. service.

"There is a specific situation on the west," said Thomas Veyrenc, director of strategy and foresight of RTE, at a press conference.

The west of France - more specifically Brittany - is indeed a particularly fragile region because it represents geographically a "cul-de-sac" electric and has no nuclear power plant.

The maintenance of Cordemais at least partially beyond January 1, 2022, if it appears contrary to the will of the executive, is compatible with the law, says RTE. It provides for an annual emission ceiling, which allows a plant to operate a few hundred hours a year.

By 2023-2025, security of supply should then "improve" with the ramp-up of renewables - notably offshore wind farms - and the expected commissioning of Flamanville, according to RTE.

"It is almost certain that the situation will improve even if the EPR Flamanville is pushed back more distant," says Thomas Veyrenc.

© 2019 AFP