![]() ![]() It also set out research policy for developing innovative energy technologies consistent with reducing carbon dioxide emissions and it defined the role of renewable energies in the production of electricity, in thermal uses and transport.Įarly in 2008 a Presidential decree established a top-level Nuclear Policy Council ( Conseil Politique Nucléaire – CPN), underlining the importance of nuclear technologies to France in terms of economic strength, notably power supply. The role of nuclear power was central to this, along with specific decisions concerning the European Pressurised Water Reactor (EPR), notably to build an initial unit so as to be able to decide by 2015 on building a series of about 40 of them. In 2005 a law established guidelines for energy policy and security. The debate was to prepare the way for defining the energy mix for the next 30 years in the context of sustainable development at a European and at a global level. ![]() (However, 58% thought that nuclear power caused climate change while only 46% thought that coal burning did so). A poll had shown that 67% of people thought that environmental protection was the single most important energy policy goal. It was accepted that there was no way renewables and energy conservation measures could replace nuclear energy in the foreseeable future.Įarly in 2003 France's first national energy debate was announced, in response to a "strong demand from the French people", 70% of whom had identified themselves as being poorly informed on energy questions. It was noted that natural gas had no economic advantage over nuclear for base-load power, and its prices were very volatile. In 1999 a parliamentary debate reaffirmed three main planks of French energy policy: security of supply, respect for the environment (especially re greenhouse gases) and proper attention to radioactive waste management. Many planned outages were delayed or reduced in scope in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ![]() As of the end of August 2022, 32 units were offline. Fourteen of those were either undergoing repair or investigation of corrosion problems that were first detected at Civaux 1 in December 2021 (for more information see below), and 18 were offline for routine maintenance. It estimates output for 2023 will be 300-330 TWh. In May 2022 EDF reduced the estimated nuclear output from France’s reactor fleet for 2022 to 280-300 TWh, well below the ten-year average of 395 TWh. Nuclear energy, with the fuel cost being a relatively small part of the overall cost, made good sense in minimizing imports and achieving greater energy security.Īs a result of the 1974 decision, France now claims a substantial level of energy independence and an extremely low level of carbon dioxide emissions per capita from electricity generation, since over 80% of its electricity is from nuclear or hydro. ![]() This decision was taken in the context of France having substantial heavy engineering expertise but few known indigenous energy resources. In the first half of 2021 France was Europe’s biggest electricity exporter, principally to the UK and Italy.įrance's present electricity generation mix is a result of the French government deciding in 1974, just after the first oil shock, to rapidly expand the country's nuclear power capacity, using Westinghouse technology. Over the last decade France has exported up to 70 TWh net each year. Installed capacity at the end of 2019 was 136 GWe. Source: International Energy Agency and The World Bank. Import/export balance: 57.7 TWh net export (15.6 TWh import 73.3 export) ![]()
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