117
Contents
Executive Summary
• 2016 Highlights
Consumption
• Consumption in France: Stabilisation
• Consumption by sector: Mixed trends
• Temperature sensitivity: Major impact on consumption
Generation
• Close to 1,700 MW of capacity added
• Wind power
• Solar power
• Bioenergy
• Hydropower
• Thermal generation
• Renewable coverage of power demand: 19.6%
• Carbon emissions
Territories and regions
• Consumption in French regions
• Solar power
• Wind power
• Other renewables in French regions
• Generation/consumption balance
Europe
• European vision of electricity
• Coverage rates across Europe
Markets
• Market prices highly volatile in Europe
• France’s export balance was lower later in the year
• CWE region
• Spain
• Italy
• Switzerland
• Great Britain
• RTE keeping pace with cross-border exchange mechanisms
Flexibility
• Activities of the Balance Responsible Entities
• Balancing Mechanism
• Load shedding
• Capacity mechanism
• Evolution of flexibility mechanisms
Transmission network
• How the network evolved in 2016
• New and replaced lines
• 2016 highlights
• Map of main projects brought into service in 2016
• RTE investments
• Map of main projects under way
• Electricity quality
• Loss rate
Glossary
Summary
2016 highlights
GenerationDeclines in generation were primarily seen with oil-fired, nuclear and coal-fired capacity in 2016. Nuclear power generation decreased due to the closure of several plants to conduct tests requested by French nuclear safety authority ASN starting in November.
Nearly 20% of demand was met with generation from renewable sources.
In 2016, total electricity generation capacity increased by 1,700 MW (+1.3%), to 130,818 MW, on the back of renewable energy development (+2,200 MW), which more than offset the contraction in thermal generation capacity.
ConsumptionAnnual power consumption stabilised in France for the sixth consecutive year. Increasingly efficient appliances once again contributed to this trend.
MarketsFrance’s exchange balance decreased due to the drop in domestic nuclear power generation.
FlexibilityRTE made further progress in 2016 toward implementing the capacity mechanism, the first delivery year of which started on 1st January 2017. This mechanism requires that suppliers obtain generation or demand response capacity certificates to show that they are covering their customers’ annual consumption during peak demand periods.
NetworkRTE’s investments are a reflection of the significant effort that will be required to meet the challenges of the energy transition over the coming years.
Key figures
RTE prepares and publishes the Annual Electricity Report to provide a general overview of the power system during the previous year.
The 2016 edition of the Electricity Report shows that the effects of the energy transition are becoming visible in France.
The report was prepared based on data available as of 31 December 2016. More thorough and accurate data may become available for inclusion in subsequent publications.
Consumption
Power consumption is stabilising
Gross consumption: Slight increase attributable to temperatures
Gross consumption ended 2016 at close to 483 TWh, wich was 1.5% higher than a year earlier. One reson for the increase is that the average temperature was lower than the previous year (-0.8°C relative to 2015).
Trend in gross consumption
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
TWh
Go to RTE OpenData
Why are adjustments made to gross consumption?
To better identify structural trends
When it is very cold outside, electricity is used for heating. When the weather is very hot, people use power for cooling. To better analyse structural trends from one year to the next, power consumption data is adjusted to strip out “weather effects”. Once this is done, electricity demand corresponds to what would have been consumed if temperatures had been the same as reference temperatures. Adjustments can also be made for other factors. For instance, there was one more day in February of 2016 than in February of 2015. To strip out this calendar effect, consumption was adjusted in such a way as to only count 365 days.
Adjusted consumption: In line with the past six years
Excluding the energy sector from the calculation, adjusted consumption was stable in 2016, holding at 473 TWh. This was the sixth year in a row that annual electricity consumption in France was flat overall.
This stabilisation is reflective of a broader trend toward gradually slowing demand growth.
The main structural drivers of this trend were economic growth, changes in France’s industrial fabric, the shift in economic activities toward services, and the effects of demand-side management.
Consumption adjusted for weather
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
100
200
300
400
500
TWh
Note: In calculating adjusted consumption, it is necessary to exclude the energy sector because the adoption of a new uranium enrichment process in 2012 severely impacted the sector and caused a steep decline in consumption.
Go to RTE OpenData
Deviation from reference temperatures
Cool temperatures in the spring, mild weather in the autumn
The deviation from the average reference temperature was small (-0.45°C) in 2016.
However, analysis of daily statistics reveals some contrasting trends, with:
Much milder-than-usual temperatures early in the year; Cool and rainy spring weather; A heat wave late in the summer; A gloomy autumn; A glacial year end.
Adjustments are made for these changes in analysing consumption in order to clearly identify structural trends.
Temperature trends in France relative to reference temperatures – Reference temperature
Jan.
Feb.
Mar
.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept
.
Oct
.
Nov
.
Dec.
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
°C
Reference temperature
Consumption trends mixed in different sectors
Sector breakdown comparable to 2015
The breakdown of consumption by sector was comparable to 2015.
The residential sector was the largest consumer of electricity, accounting for about 36% of final consumption, followed by the business sector (27%), heavy industry (17%), SMEs/SMI (10%) and professionals (10%).
Residential
Business
SMEs/SMI
Professionnals
Heavy Industry
Final consumption by sector
Residential Business SMEs/SMI Professionals Heavy Industry
Go to RTE OpenData
SMEs/SMI, professionals and retail customers: Consumption more or less flat
SMI/SMEs, professional and retail users all get power from the distribution networks. Their consumption, including losses, was relatively flat between 2015 and 2016.
Power consumption by SMEs/SMI, retail and professional customers
Seasonally adjusted
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
29,5
30,0
30,5
31,0
31,5
32,0
32,5
33,0
33,5
TWh
Factors driving this trend included a lacklustre economic climate for SMEs/SMI and professional customers as well as, to a lesser degree, weak household demand. Directives and regulations on the energy efficiency of equipment also had an impact, as did slower growth in the share of new buildings heated with electricity due to application of the 2012 Building Energy Regulation.
Go to RTE OpenData
Heavy industry: Uneven trends over the year
Consumption by heavy industry*, users directly connected to the public transmission system, reached 66.6 TWh in 2016, broadly unchanged from 2015.This overall stability fails to reflect major disparities in monthly trends. After a sharp increase early in the year, industrial action in the spring, followed by flooding between late May and early June, put pressure on consumption in heavy industry.A strong recovery in the last six months made it possible to end the year flat on 2015.
Power consumption by heavy industry, excluding the energy sector Seasonally adjusted
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
5,0
5,5
6,0
6,5
7,0
TWh
*Including own consumption but excluding losses, the energy sector and the 29th day in February
Go to RTE OpenData
Trends in different segments of heavy industry
Mixed trends
There were also opposing trends in different segments of industry in 2016.
Demand contracted in some sectors of activity, including rail transport (-2.7%), chemicals (-2.8%) and paperboard (-1.2%). Conversely, demand increased in steel (+4.9%) and metallurgy (+0.8%). Consumption by car manufacturers was flat.
Power consumption by metallurgy industry Seasonally adjusted
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
500
550
600
650
700
750
GW
h
The 2016 Generation Adequacy Report offers a more detailed analysis of these sector trends.
Temperature sensitivity and shifts in end-uses are impacting consumption
Relatively low peak demand
Electricity demand peaked on Monday January 18th 2016, at 7:00 p.m., with 88.6 GW consumed. This demand peak was relatively low due to the mild temperatures recorded early in the year.
Historical trend in peak demand
17/1
2/20
01
10/1
2/20
02
19/0
1/20
03
22/1
2/20
04
28/0
2/20
05
27/0
1/20
06
17/1
2/20
07
15/1
2/20
08
07/0
1/20
09
15/1
2/20
10
04/0
1/20
11
08/0
2/20
12
17/0
1/20
13
09/1
2/20
14
06/0
2/20
15
18/0
1/20
16
0
20
40
60
80
100
GW
Demand was at its lowest point in the year on Sunday 7 August, at 30.6 GW.
Trends in maximum and minimum demand Maximum demand, Minimum demand
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
20
40
60
80
100
GW
Maximum demand Minimum demand
Go to RTE OpenData
What drives peaks and valleys in demand?
La consommation française dépend fortement de la saison, du jour et de l’heure.
Consumption in France varies greatly depending on the season, day of the week and time of day. Electric heating causes demand to reach higher levels in winter than in summer. Similarly, people are more active during the week than on weekends, so demand in higher on weekdays.
Over the course of a day, the use of power for lighting and cooking needs, particularly in the evening, when people tend to return home, explains the peak observed at around 7:00 pm.
Profiles vary by end-use and sector
Power demand at a given point in time (also referred to as the load curve) represents the addition of the varying profiles of different sectors and end-uses, which change with the seasons.
Demand by end-use
The hourly load curves* on the two charts show substantial seasonal variability. This is due in large part to the use of heating in winter.
Demand by end-use in winter
Weekly profile of power demand at reference temperatures by end-use during third week of January 2016
Mon
day
Thus
day
Wed
nesd
ay
Thur
sday
Satu
rday
Sund
ay
0
20 000
40 000
60 000
80 000
100 000
MW
Heating Other end-uses Residential and public lighting Domestic hot water Cooking
Demand by end-use in summer
Weekly profile of power demand at reference temperatures by end-use during third week of June 2015
Mon
day
Thus
day
Wed
nesd
ay
Thur
sday
Satu
rday
Sund
ay
0
20 000
40 000
60 000
80 000
100 000
MW
air conditioning Other end-uses Residential and public lighting Domestic hot water Cooking
*Note that these charts show power demand at reference temperatures. Actual demand is much more variable. For more information, see the article about temperature sensitivity by clicking on “Return to main document” at the bottom of this page.
Demand by sector
A comparison of the breakdown of demand by end-use and demand by sector over one year over reveals:
significant reliance on electric heating in winter, reflected in power demand in the residential sector and, to a lesser degree, in the tertiary sectora brief dip in demand in the tertiary sector and industry late in December, when economic activity slows due to the year-end holidays. Decreases are also seen in both sectors during other school holidays (in August, for instance).
Demand by end-use over the course of the year
Average weekly demand at reference temperatures between July 2015 and June 2016
July
Sept
embe
r
Nov
embe
r
Janu
ary
April
June
0
20 000
40 000
60 000
80 000
MW
Cooking Domestic hot water Residential and public lighting Other end-uses Air conditioning
Heating
Demand in the residential sector
Average weekly demand at reference temperatures between July 2015 and June 2016
July
Sept
embe
r
Nov
embe
r
Janu
ary
April
June
0
10 000
20 000
30 000
MW
Demand in the tertiary sector
Average weekly demand at reference temperatures between July 2015 and June 2016
July
Sept
embe
r
Nov
embe
r
Janu
ary
April
June
0
10 000
20 000
30 000
MW
Demand in the industrial sector
Average weekly demand at reference temperatures between July 2015 and June 2016
July
September
November
January
April
June
0
10 000
20 000
30 000
MW
In winter, demand increases by 2,400 MW with each degree Celsius drop in temperatures
Power demand in France is very sensitive to temperatures, particularly in the winter months, due to the widespread use of electric heating.
RTE uses a model that distinguishes between temperature-sensitive and non-temperature-sensitive demand to calculate weather-adjusted consumption. It is the temperature-sensitive share that shapes the overall trend in demand.
Gross consumption and temperature-sensitive share in the winter of 2015-2016
Oct
.O
ct.
Nov.
Déc.
2016
Févr
.
Mar
s
0
20
40
60
80
100
GW
Temperature-sensitive share Gross consumption
The temperature sensitivity of power demand varies over the course of a given day. It is estimated at about 2,400 MW per degree Celsius in winter on average.
Evolving end-uses are tending to make demand less temperature sensitiven
The type of heating installed in new homes can have a significant influence on temperature sensitivity. Since the 2012 Building Energy Regulation took effect, the share of electric heating in new build has shrunk to a third of the 2008 level. This shift is liable to keep temperature sensitivity in check going forward. However, new homes only make up a very small portion of housing stock (about 1%), so the impact will only be visible over the long term.
Share of electric heating in new homes
(Source : BatiEtude)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Non-electric Heat pump Resistance
Other end-uses besides heating (primary and backup systems) also contribute, to a lesser degree, to determining the share of power that is sensitive to temperatures, including domestic hot water, cooking and cold production.
Share of water heating systems powered with electricity in new homes
(Source : BatiEtude)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Non-electric Heat pump Resistance
Energy efficiency: Households consuming less electricity
Household appliances are increasingly efficient. Though this efficiency does not make consumption in France less temperature sensitive, it does help households save on their energy bills.
It is estimated that households consumed an average 2,600 kWh for domestic electricity uses in 2015. This consumption would be halved if households were equipped exclusively with efficient appliances (A+++).
See the Generation Adequacy Report
Detailed consumption forecasts and trends linked to end-uses can be found in the 2016 Generation Adequacy Report.
Generation
Nearly 1,700 MW of capacity added
Renewable capacity up by 2,200 MW
Electricity generation capacity in mainland France rose by 1,699 MW in 2016 (+1.3% relative to 2015), ending the year at 130 GW.
Installed capacity at 31/12/2016
Capacity inMW
Change relative to 31/12/2015
Change inMW
Share of total
capacity
Nuclear 63,130 0.0% 0 48.3%
Fossil-fired thermal 21,847 -2.2% -488 16.7%
of which coal 2,997 -0.3% -10 2.3%
of which oil 7,137 -16.0% -1,359 5.5%
of which gas 11,712 8.1% 881 9.0%
Hydropower 25,482 0.2% 51 19.5%
Wind power 11,670 13.0% 1,345 8.9%
Solar power 6,772 9.3% 576 5.2%
Bioenergy 1,918 12.6% 215 1.5%
Total 130,818 1.3% 1,699 100.0%
This increase was driven by the development of renewable energy sources (+2,188 MW), which more than offset the decline in installed fossil-fired thermal capacity (-488 MW). Oil-fired capacity contracted following the closure of the two Aramon units (685 MW each). Meanwhile, the 563 MW CCGT facility at Bouchain was connected to the public transmission network in January of 2016.
Nuclear : 48.3%
Fossil-fired thermal: 16.7%
Renewable : 35.0%
Installed capacity in France as of 31/12/2016
Nuclear Fossil-fired thermal Renewable
Go to RTE OpenData
Power and energy : What's the difference ?
Understanding the difference between power and energy.
Power (measured in watts, symbol W) represents a generation plant’s ability to deliver a quantity of energy per unit of time. A watt-hour (Wh) quantifies the energy delivered: 1 Wh is the energy produced by a 1W generation facility over a one-hour period (1W x 1h).In addition to kilowatt-hours (kWh = 103 Wh), larger multiples of watt-hours are often used in describing electricity generation: megawatt-hours (MWh = 106 Wh), gigawatt-hours (GWh = 109 Wh) and terawatt-hours (TWh = 1012 Wh). The energy consumed in one hour corresponds to power delivered to meet demand during that hour.
Total output of 531.3 TWh, down 2.8%
Total power generation in France reached 531.3 TWh, which was almost 3% less than in 2015. The export balance also decreased sharply over the year (-34.8%).Electricity output primarily declined in the oil, nuclear, and coal segments in 2016. Gas-fired generation increased (+59%). At the same time, favourable rainfall conditions, together with a surge in installed capacity, drove renewable generation higher.
Energy produced TWh Change 2016/2015 Share of generation
Net generation 531.3 -2.8% 100.0%
Nuclear 384 -7.9% 72.3%
Fossil-fired thermal 45.9 +33.4% 8.6%
of which coal 7.3 -15.4% 1.4%
of which oil 3.3 -13.1% 0.6%
of which gas 35.3 +60.8% 6.6%
Hydropower 63.9 +8.2% 12.0%
of which renewable 59.2 +9.1% 11.1%
Wind power 20.7 -1.8% 3.9%
Solar power 8.3 +11.3% 1.6%
Bioenergy 8.5 +6.3% 1.6%
of which renewable 6.5 +7.4% 1.2%
The breakdown between generation sources was broadly the same as in 2015. It is worth noting that nuclear represented 72.3% of total generation, the lowest level since 1992.
Wind : 3.9%Solar : 1.6%
Hydro : 12.0%
Bioenergy : 1.6%
Nuclear : 72.3%
Fossil-fired thermal : 8.6%
2016Year
Annual trend in energy output (TWh)
Go to RTE OpenData
Get real-time data on Eco2Mix
Variability of generation from different sources
France’s power generation capacity comprises resources that are sensitive to various parameters: cloud cover and sunlight for solar power, wind conditions for wind power, rainfall and temperatures for hydropower. By way of example, coverage of demand with hydropower output is at its highest in May, when snow is melting. But this output can be modulated and, to a degree, used to help offset fluctuations in wind and solar power output.Facilities that run on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) are powered up more often in the winter, and their coverage of total demand ranges between 2% and 17%.
Monthly coverage of consumption in France with hydro generation
January
February
March
April
May
June
July August
September
October
November
December
0
10
20
30
40
%
The extremities represent the maximum and minimum and the white line the median.
Variability means adaptability
When the wind blows, it can be a breeze, a gust or a squall. Wind turbines thus have different ways to generate power. Depending on the wind, their output can vary greatly from hour to hour, day to day and region to region. Adapting the grid to accommodate the development of renewable energy sources has become a top priority for power sector players. Venteea, the goal of which is to improve the grid’s capacity to accommodate power from renewable sources, is directly contributing to the drive to promote renewable energy and smart grids for demand-side management. VENTEEA: Harnessing the power of the wind to make grids smarter!
The future of the energy mix
Wind power, tidal and wave energy… marine energy sources hold real potential. Their integration into the power system will contribute to a successful energy transition and the development of a new industry. MAG RTE&Vous describes how RTE and its partners are meeting the challenges involved in connecting these new power sources to the grid.
Wind power
1,345 MW of capacity added
Installed wind power capacity ended 2016 at 11,670 MW after 1,345 MW was added during the year. Of this total, 662 MW was connected to the RTE network and 11,008 MW to the grids of Enedis, LDCs and EDF-SEI for Corsica. This was the highest capacity growth rate ever recorded. Growth gathered steam in the second quarter, with 464 MW connected, versus 140 MW in the first quarter. This trend, together with the significant increase in the connection queue, reflects market players’ confidence in the industry’s development prospects. If the new objective set forth in the Multiannual Energy Programme is to be met, connections will have to accelerate to around 1.8 GW a year between now and 2018.
94 129
219
393 75
2 1 50
2 2 25
0 3 32
7 4 57
3 5 76
2 6 71
4 7 53
6
8 15
7 9 31
3 10 3
24
11 6
70
Installed wind capacity
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
10 000
12 000
14 000
MW
Year-on-year change Installed capacity at 31 December
Go to RTE OpenData
Multiannual Energy Programme objectives
The objectives set forth in the Multiannual Energy Programme are split between the different industries as follows.
Industry Targets for 2018 (MWTargets for 2023 (MW)
Low option High option
Wind power 15 000 21 800 26 000
Solar power 10 200 18 200 20 200
Hydropower 25 300 25 800 26 050
Bioenergy 677 790 1 040
Panorama of Renewable Electricity
RTE, Syndicat des Energies Renouvelables (Renewable Energy Association), Enedis and ADEeF jointly publish a detailed analysis of developments in renewable energies. http://www.rte-france.com/fr/article/panorama-de-l-electricite-renouvelable
Decline in wind power output
Wind power output declined by 1.8% relative to 2015. Though installed capacity increased, generation was depressed by less favourable weather conditions late in the year. There was relatively little wind in September and December.
0,0
0,0 0,4
0,6 1,0
2,3
4,0
5,6
7,9
9,7
12,1
14,9 15
,9 17,1
21,1
20,7
Wind power generation
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
5
10
15
20
25
TWh
Go to RTE OpenData
Breakdown of wind power generation
Wind power output at half-hourly intervals
The bottom decile was lower on average during the year (-1.0%), as was the top decile (-11.3%). Mixed weather conditions explain this decrease, though they were offset by a rise in installed capacity. Given that there are several wind regimes in France, the wider spread of geographic sites tends to compensate for the variability of wind power generation resulting from changes in wind conditions.
Wind power generation at half-hourly intervals (average and top/bottom deciles)
0:30
2:00
3:30
5:00
6:30
8:00
9:30
11:0
0
12:3
0
14:0
0
15:3
0
17:0
0
18:3
0
20:0
0
21:3
0
23:0
0
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
MW
Top decile 2015 Top decile 2016 Average 2015 Average 2016 Bottom decile 2015 Bottom decile 2016
Demand covered by wind power
On average, wind power covered 4.3% of total demand, down from 4.5% in 2015.
Demand covered by wind power
0.0%
1.2%
2.4%
3.6%
4.8%
6.0%
7.2%
8.4%
9.6%
10.8
%
12.0
%
13.2
%
14.4
%
15.6
%
0
100
200
300
400
Num
ber
of
half
-ho
ur p
erio
ds
2015 2016
Monthly wind power output
Maximum wind power output decreased sharply in September and December due to unfavourable weather conditions. A new output record was set on November 20 at 4:00 am with 8,632 MW generated. The related capacity factor was 75.2%.
Monthly wind power generation
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July Aug
ust
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber0
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
10 000
MW
Average output Maximum output
Monthly wind capacity factor
The wind power capacity factor averaged 21.7%, down slightly from 2015 (24.5%).
36,7 39
,6
31,2
21,5
19,1
13,5
12,3
14,2
12,2 16
,4
27,3
17,3
78,7 82
,8
76,0
62,7
44,0
43,2
38,4 44
,5
40,4 46
,5
74,1
50,6
Monthly wind capacity factor
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July Aug
ust
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Average capacity factor Maximum capacity factor
Solar power
Slight 576 MW increase in capacity
In 2016, 576 MW of new solar power capacity was connected in mainland France, lifting installed solar capacity to 6,772 MW of which 572 MW is connected to the RTE network and 6,200 MW to the grids of Enedis, LDCs and EDF-SEI for Corsica. Solar capacity growth slowed in 2016, to the lowest level recorded since 2009. This slowdown reflected the absence of continuity of tenders for several years. The trend should nonetheless reverse in 2017, with the connection of the projects that won the tenders launched in November 2014 and March 2015.
4 7 61 190 87
8
2 58
4
3 72
7 4 36
6 5 29
7 6 19
6 6 77
2
Installed solar capacity
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Output up by more than 11%
Solar power output was 11.3% higher than in 2015, in line with the increase in capacity. With good sunlight conditions in July and August, solar power production set a new record: for the first time, monthly output exceeded 1 TWh.
0,0
0,0
0,0 0,2 0,
5
2,1
4,1 4,
7
5,9
7,4
8,3
Solar power generation
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
2
4
6
8
10
TWh
Go to RTE OpenData
Breakdown of solar power generation
Monthly solar capacity factor
Over 2016 as a whole, the average solar capacity factor was 14.3%, compared with 14.7% in 2015.
Monthly solar capacity factor
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July
Augus
t
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
Average capacity factor Maximum capacity factor
Solar power generation at half-hourly intervals
Solar power covered an average 1.7% of demand in 2016, versus 1.5% in 2015. Maximum coverage was recorded on 7 August, 2016 at 2:00 pm, when it reached 12.7%.
Solar power generation at half-hourly intervals (average and top/bottom deciles)
0:30
2:00
3:30
5:00
6:30
8:00
9:30
11:0
0
12:3
0
14:0
0
15:3
0
17:0
0
18:3
0
20:0
0
21:3
0
23:0
0
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
MW
Top decile 2015 Top decile 2016 Average 2015 Average 2016 Bottom decile 2015 Bottom decile 2016
Monthly solar power output
On 4 May 2016, at 1:30 pm, solar power generation peaked at 5,267 MW, which corresponded to a capacity factor of 82.7%.
Monthly solar power output
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July
Augus
t
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
6 000
MW
Average output Maximum output
Bioenergy
Bioenergy capacity
Installed bioenergy capacity increased by 215 MW (+12.6%) in 2016, to 1,918 MW. Most of this growth was driven by the “Provence 4” biomass plant in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, which added 150 MW of capacity.
Installed bioenergy capacity
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Breakdown of bioenergy capacity
Municipal waste incineration plants still account for the lion’s share of bioenergy capacity. However, their share declined in 2016, as plants fuelled by wood-energy and other solid fuels gathered momentum. The other main fuel sources are biogas and paper waste.
Biogas : 20.3%
Wood energy andother solid fuels : 30.8%
Household waste : 45.9%
Paper waste : 3.0%
Breakdown of bioenergy capacity
Biogas Wood-energy and other solid fuels Household waste Paper waste
Hydropower
Water reserves
Average water reserves declined by 6.1% from 2015. In January 2016, reserves were 26.2% below the January 2015 level. Heavy rainfall in late spring, combined with seasonal snowmelt, helped rebuild the reserves. The mid-August peak was the highest on record in the past decade. Reserves declined later in the year due to heavy use of hydropower capacity, a direct result of the decline in nuclear generation. Reserves were at their lowest level in a decade for that season.
Weekly water reserves in 2016
Wee
k 1
Wee
k 4
Wee
k 7
Wee
k 10
Wee
k 13
Wee
k 15
Wee
k 19
Wee
k 22
Wee
k 25
Wee
k 28
Wee
k 31
Wee
k 34
Wee
k 37
Wee
k 40
Wee
k 43
Wee
k 46
Wee
k 49
Wee
k 52
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
GW
h
Reserves Maximum reserves
Hydropower generation
Hydropower generation increased by 8.2% relative to 2015.Annual output was in line with the average for the past ten years. The increase was driven by heavy precipitation late in the spring.
Hydropower generation
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
GW
h
Go to RTE OpenData
Decline in nuclear power generation offset in part by fossil-fired thermal
Nuclear power generation down
With 63.1 GW of installed capacity, nuclear power makes up almost half of total capacity in France (130 GW). Nuclear power generation contracted in 2016 (-7.9%) and only accounted for 72.3% of total output. This decline was attributable to the unavailability of the equivalent of nine reactors on average during the winter months, after generator EDF extended maintenance work exceptionally and planned additional stoppages at the request of nuclear safety authority ASN.
Go to RTE OpenData
Map of nuclear power plants in France
Sharp increase in fossil-fired thermal generation
Oil-fired thermal capacity contracted sharply (-16.0%), though this was offset by an increase in gas-fired thermal (+8.1%). Overall, fossil-fired thermal capacity shrank by 2.2%.Output from fossil-fired thermal plants rose from the 2015 level (+33.4%), notably to offset the decrease in nuclear output.
Closures of coal-fired facilities (1.5 GW) late in 2015 impacted production in 2016 (-15.4%). The unavailability of some coal-fired plants between May and August also contributed to the decline. The contraction in 2016 of oil-fired capacity pushed production lower as well. At the same time, output from gas-fired plants surged (+60.8%) due to heavy use of these units and the newly commissioned facility in Bouchain.
Go to RTE OpenData
Map of fossil-fired plants in France
Fossil and renewable energies: 2016 a mixed bag
Above-average temperatures in January and February 2016 made it unnecessary to rely heavily on fossil-fired thermal capacity. Renewable energy sources excluding hydro produced more power than fossil-fired thermal plants between April and August. The latter were used extensively between September and December to offset the decline in nuclear generation.
Monthly output from fossil-fired and renewable energy sources in 2016
(excluding hydropower)
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July
Augus
t
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber
0
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
GW
h
Wind power Solar power Other renewable Oil Gas Coal
Renewable energies covered 19.6% of demand
Increase in renewable energies’ coverage of gross consumption
The share of demand covered by renewable energy sources rose 4.8% versus 2015 and matched the record of 2014. An increase in renewable generation, combined with a decrease in gross consumption, lifted the share to 19.6%. However, the coverage rate is shaped in large part by demand and hydropower generation, which can vary from year to year.
Method for calculating renewable generation
The calculation method used is drawn from EU directive 2009/28/EC. 70% of consumption for pumping is deducted from production from pumped storage stations. Municipal waste incineration plant output is counted at 50%. The methodology used here does not make adjustments for weather conditions.
Wind and solar output: 29 TWh
Taken together, wind and solar resources produced 29 TWh and accounted for 30.6% of total renewable energy generation in France. The 1.6% increase in solar and wind output relative to 2015 reflects the expansion of capacity in each segment, and was achieved even though weather conditions were not as favourable as in 2015. The renewable share of bioenergy output (municipal waste, paper waste, biogas, wood-energy and other solid biofuels) rose 7.4% to 6.5 TWh. Adding in the renewable share of hydropower, total renewable power generation in France reached 94.7 TWh in 2016.
CO2 emissions
Uptick in CO2 emissions
CO2 emissions increased in 2016. One primary cause was the decrease in nuclear power generation, after some reactors were shut down to comply with a request from nuclear safety authority ASN to conduct tests. Though offset in part by hydropower generation, increased use of fossil-fired thermal plants had a significant impact on carbon emissions (+21.8%). Most of these emissions were due to a rise in gas-fired generation. Total CO2, emissions not counting own consumption were nonetheless still 12.1% lower than in 2013. CO2 emissions resulting from own consumption were estimated at 5.4 million tonnes. These emissions are included in the carbon footprint assessments of the industrial sites in question. CO2 emissions have been decreasing overall since 2008.
2015
23.3
–
CO2 emissions excluding own consumption (millions of tonnes)
Net production
Nuclear
Fossil-fired thermal
2016
28.3
–22.1
17.5
8.26.9
0.9 0.9
of which coal
of which oil
of which gas 14.3 8.4
Hydropower –
Wind power –
Solar power –
Bioenergy
–
–
–
6.2 5.8
Trend in CO2 emissions since 2008
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
15
20
25
30
35
40
Mill
ions
of
tonn
es (M
t)
CO2 emissions vary over time
CO2 emissions vary over time
Daily CO2 emission curves in winter show wide swings, caused by the use during the day of thermal generation plants. Curves are flatter in the summer. Levels were higher in 2016 than in 2015, due to the more intensive use of fossil-fired thermal generation.
Monthly CO2 emissions excluding own consumption
Janu
ary
Febr
uary
Mar
ch
April
May
June
July
Augus
t
Sept
embe
r
Oct
ober
Nov
embe
r
Decem
ber0
1 000 000
2 000 000
3 000 000
4 000 000
5 000 000
Tonn
es
Average daily CO2 emission curves excluding own consumption
0:30
2:00
3:30
5:00
6:30
8:00
9:30
11:0
0
12:3
0
14:0
0
15:3
0
17:0
0
18:3
0
20:0
0
21:3
0
23:0
0
20
40
60
80
100
kg/M
Wh
january february march april may june july august september
october november december
Calculating CO2 emissions
The CO2 emission factors shown here only represent CO2 emissions generated by the consumption of the primary fuel source. Different generation technologies contributed to total CO2 emissions as follows:
– 0.96 t/MWh for coal-fired units– 0.67 t/MWh for oil-fired units– 0.46 t/MWh for gas-fired units– 0.98 t/MWh for other thermal power plants (biogas, waste, wood-energy and other solid fuels).
These rates are calculated based on emission factors in g/CO2 per kWh of thermal energy, as reported by the Inter-professional Technical Centre for Studies on Atmospheric Pollution (Centre Interprofessionnel Technique d’Etudes de la Pollution Atmosphérique - CITEPA), and on RTE’s estimate of output between kWh of thermal energy and kWh of electricity.
Territories and regions
Consumption in the French regions
Gross consumption: Stable on average at the regional level
Gross consumption in the French regions was broadly unchanged between 2015 and 2016, as average temperatures were comparable the past two years.
Gross consumption by region in 2016
0 to 10 TWh 10 to 20 TWh 20 to 30 TWh 30 to 40 TWh >= 40 TWh
Go to RTE OpenData
Adjusted consumption: Trends shaped in part by demographics
Between 2010 and 2015, trends in adjusted consumption varied from one region to the next. Differences were a reflection of demographic and economic developments in the territories.
Over five years, adjusted consumption in Occitanie rose by 6.5%. The region’s population increased by 5% over the same period.
Conversely, consumption in the Grand-Est region contracted by 5.4% due to less robust economic growth; its population was stable over the period.
Trend in adjusted consumption between 2010 and 2015
-10 to -5 % -5 to 0 % 0 to 2 % 2 to 5 % >= 5 %
Population growth between 2010 and 2015
0 to 1 % 1 to 2 % 2 to 3 % 3 to 4 % >= 4 %
Consumption in heavy industry: Little change at the regional level
The largest heavy industry areas connected to the RTE network are still located in the northeast of France and in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Demand there was comparable to the previous year.
Consumption by heavy industry, excluding the energy sector, in 2016
0 to 2 TWh 2 to 4 TWh 4 to 6 TWh 6 to 8 TWh >= 8 TWh
Breakdown of consumption in heavy industry
Key heavy industry areas
Breakdown by sector of heavy industry consumption in the French regions
Hauts-de-France
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Grand-Est
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azure
Ile-de-France
Normandy
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Burgundy-Franche-Comté
Occitanie
Pays de la Loire
Centre-Val de Loire
Brittany
0 1 000 2 000 3 000 4 000 5 000 6 000 7 000 8 000 9 000 10 000
MWh
Agriculture and agri-food Other industries Chemicals and speciality chemicals
Car manufacturing Metallurgy Paperboard
Steel Tertiary Rail transport
Solar power
Installed capacity
Two regions have more than 1,400 MW of installed solar capacity: Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie. They are both large in size and are situated in the southernmost part of France. Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, a smaller region, has 936 MW of installed capacity.
Regional solar capacity
0 to 100 MW 100 to 200 MW 200 to 500 MW 500 to 1000 MW >= 1000 MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Density of installed capacity by region
Regional density of solar capacity
Density is a calculation of installed capacity per square kilometre in each region. Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur has the highest density even though it ranks third nationally in terms of capacity. Conversely, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes ranks fourth in terms of capacity but density is below the national average of 11.6 kW per square kilometre.
< 5 KW per km² 5 to10 KW per km² 10 to 15 KW per km² >= 20 KW per km²
Regional solar power development targets focus primarily on southern France. For the 2020 objectives to be met, installed capacity will have to expand by a factor of 1.7 in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 3.7 in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and 2.1 in Occitanie.
RPCAE solar power targets for 2020
0 to 500 MW 500 to 1000 MW 1000 to 2500 MW >= 2500 MW
Generation
Coverage of demand by solar power
0 to 0,5% 0,5 to 1% 1 to 2% 2 to 4% >= 4%
Go to RTE OpenData
Wind power
Installed capacity
Climate conditions (wind regimes), environmental constraints and local policies explain differences between wind power development rates. Two regions have more than 2,500 MW of wind capacity installed: Hauts-de-France and Grand-Est.
Regional map of wind capacity
0 to 250 MW 250 to 500 MW 500 to 750 MW 750 to 1000 MW >= 1000 MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Wind regimes and the density of installed capacity
Wind regimes
Wind energy has developed in the different regions thanks, among other things, to favourable local conditions that guarantee certain wind speeds and thus a higher average capacity factor. Wind zones in mainland France can be divided into four homogeneous areas represented on the map below.
This means that windy periods within a defined wind zone tend to occur at the same time and be of similar intensity. It also means that significant differences are observed between patterns in the different zones. It is this diversity across the country that makes it possible to have wind turbines operating virtually at all times in France.
Regional density of wind capacity
Density is a calculation of installed capacity per square kilometre in each region. The region with the highest density is Hauts-de-France, which ranks second in terms of wind power capacity. Occitanie ranks third in terms of capacity but seventh in terms of density, slightly below the national average of 18.9 kW per square kilometre.
< 5 KW per km² 5 to 15 KW per km² 15 to 25 KW per km² 25 to 50 KW per km² >= 50 KW per km²
The map below shows the wind power targets set forth in RPCAE, aggregated according to the new administrative regions, taking into account region-specific climate, environmental and policy considerations.
RPCAE wind power targets for 2020
0 to 1000 MW 1000 to 2000 MW 2000 to 3000 MW 3000 to 4000 MW >= 4000 MW
By 2019, the RPCAE will be integrated into the regional plans for land use, sustainable development and territorial equality (schémas régionaux d’aménagement, de développement durable et d’égalité des territoires - SRADDET) created by Law 2015-991, known as the NOTRe Act.
Generation
Coverage of demand by wind power
0 to 2% 2 to 4% 4 to 6% >= 6%
Go to RTE OpenData
Other renewables
Bioenergy
Le parBioenergy capacity is divided amongst all French regions, with a high concentration of household waste incineration plants in Ile-de-France.
Regional map of bioenergy capacity
0 to 50 MW 50 to100 MW 100 to 200 MW >= 200 MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Bioenergy generation
Coverage of demand by bioenergy
0 to 0,5% 0,5 to 1% 1 to 2% >= 3%
Go to RTE OpenData
Hydropower
Installed hydropower capacity of 25 GW is divided unevenly across France.Regions with large mountain areas (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) are home to 79% of total hydropower capacity in France, because of the hydroelectric dams installed there, notably water reservoir and pondage facilities. Hydropower plants in other regions are smaller and often use run-of-river or pondage systems.
Regional map of hydropower capacity
0 to 50 MW 50 to 1000 MW 1000 to 5000 MW 5000 to 10000 MW >= 10000 MW
Go to RTE OpenData
Hydropower generation
Coverage of demand by hydropower
0 to 2% 2 to 10% 10 to 30% >= 30%
Go to RTE OpenData
The balance between generation and consumption
The transmission grid is laid out in such a way that electricity generation resources can be pooled to ensure adequate supply to each part of France.The regions that import the most are Ile-de-France, Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Brittany and Pays de la Loire. Guaranteeing supply to these regions requires bringing large quantities of power in from other regions, and passing through neighbouring regions in Brittany’s case, for instance. Most of these exchanges flow over the public transmission grid.
Two regions import about as much as they export during the year: Hauts-de-France and Occitanie. While these annual totals might create the impression that flows were balanced, the truth is that exchanges may in fact have been largely dominated by imports or exports during the year. Moreover, there are significant exchanges within these large territories, for instance between the former Poitou-Charentes and Limousin regions. The power exchanged in such cases also flows over public grids. The regions where nuclear power plants are located are the ones that generate surplus power or enough to meet their own needs.
Effects of weather on generation and consumption
Trend in run-of-river generation as a function of rainfall
Rainfall has a direct impact on run-of-river hydropower generation. Indeed, contrary to reservoir-type facilities, run-of-river generation is not easily controlled and cannot be stored.The increase in run-of-river generation in regions that experienced heavy rainfall was particularly pronounced in May 2016 relative to May 2015. In Ile-de-France for instance, precipitation levels rose 380%, and generation jumped 85%. Similar trends were observed in the Burgundy Franche-Comté, Normandy and Pays de la Loire regions.
Burg
undy
Fra
nche
-Com
té
Ile-d
e-Fr
ance
Nor
man
dy
Pays
de
la L
oire
0
20
40
60
80
100
%
0
100
200
300
400
500
%
Trend in run-of-river hydro generation Trend in rainfall
Impact of heat wave on consumption
France experienced a heat wave between 23 and 27 August 2016. The episode was noteworthy because it arrived so late that a new record was set. During this week of high temperatures, greater use of air conditioning was reflected in the 2.1% increase in national power consumption relative to the same week of 2015. The most urbanised regions are more sensitive to such swings in temperatures. In these regions, urban density creates heat islands, requiring more intensive use of air conditioning. The largest increases in consumption were observed in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Pays de la Loire and Ile-de-France regions, as shown in the chart below.
01/0
8
03/0
8
05/0
8
07/0
8
09/0
8
11/0
8
13/0
8
15/0
8
17/0
8
19/0
8
21/0
8
23/0
8
25/0
8
27/0
8
29/0
8
31/0
8
0
50
100
150
200
GW
h
-5
0
5
10
T°C
Burgundy Franche-Comte Centre-Val de Loire Grand Est Ile-de-France
Nouvelle Aquitaine Pays de la Loire Deviations from normal
Electrical frequency: An indicator of balance on the grid
Frequency refers to the number of times a cycle is repeated over a period of time. When applied to electricity, it is measured in Hertz (Hz). Electrical frequency corresponds to the number of times alternating current changes direction per second. In terms of the European power system, this is a key management indicator. To find out more about the relationship between electrical frequency, supply and demand, please see MAG RTE&Vous.
Europe
European vision for electricity
Consumption in Europe was flat
Gross domestic consumption was more or less flat in a few countries like France and Portugal. There were nonetheless some divergent trends, including in neighbouring countries. Northern, Eastern and Southern Europe all recorded increases in gross domestic consumption (+3.2% in Norway, +2.0% in Poland and +0.9% in Spain). On the other hand, countries like Germany and Denmark saw declines (-0.8% and -1.6%, respectively).All in all, annual power consumption within ENTSO-E countries stabilised in 2015-2016 (-0.1%). Gross consumption in nearly half of these countries moved within the -1.5% to +1.5% range relative to 2014-2015.
Data calculated for the period from July 2015 to June 2016 versus the previous 12 months
Annual trend in power consumption
Decrease >4%, Decrease of 0.5 to 4% Stable ± 0.5%
Increase of 0.5 to 4%
Temperate sensitivity in Europe
France is the most temperature sensitive country in Europe
A country’s electricity consumption is temperature sensitive. Demand increases with colder weather, notably due to the use of electric heating. This phenomenon, known as temperature sensitivity, is observed in all European countries, but it is by far the most noticeable in France. The chart below helps illustrate the existence of this temperature sensitivity: on a daily basis, it traces consumption in a given country based on the average temperature in that country. Bank holidays, the Christmas holidays and the month of August are not represented since demand is so much lower than normal during these periods.
Below 15°C, consumption begins to increase as the temperature decreases. The curve is three to five times steeper in France than elsewhere. In some countries, temperature sensitivity is observed in summer when the temperature climbs above 20°C. Consumption notably increases with temperatures in Spain, and particularly in Italy, due in part to the use of air conditioning.
Daily consumption based on temperatures (working days, July 2015 – June 2016)
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
Dai
ly c
ons
ump
tio
n (T
Wh)
Average daily temperature in the country (°C)
France Great Britain Germany Spain Italy
France and Germany are the biggest exporters
In the 2015-2016 period, the highest export balances of ENTSO-E countries were seen in France (+65 TWh) and Germany (+52 TWh). Italy was the biggest importer (46 TWh), followed by the United Kingdom (21 TWh).
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Sum of physical flows
Not interconnected Less than -40 TWH -40 to -15 TWh -15 to 0 TWh
0 to 15 TWh 15 to 40 TWh More than 40 TWH
European generation was unchanged
European power generation reached 3,010 TWh in 2015-2016, in line with the previous period, reflecting the stability of demand. France and Germany accounted for more than a third of total generation within ENTSO-E countries. Together with the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, these five countries contributed 60% of total output.
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Individual countries’ shares of total ENTSO-E generation
Less than 3% 3 to 5% 5 to 15% More than 15%
European demand coverage rates
Demand covered by nuclear power
Of the 34 ENTSO-E countries, 15 have electricity mixes that include nuclear. Nuclear power generation rose sharply in Belgium relative to the 2015-2016 period because of the increased availability of generation facilities.
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by nuclear power
0% 0 to 30% 30 to 60% More than 60%
Demand covered by fossil fuel energy
Annual consumption covered by fossil-fired thermal generation averaged about 41% in ENTSO-E member countries in 2015-2016. The share exceeded 86% in Poland. In France, coverage remained at around 7%, notably because nuclear and hydropower account for such a large share of the mix.
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by fossil fuel energy le
Less than 15% 15 to 40% 40 to 70% More than 70%
Demand covered by renewable energy
The share of demand covered by renewable energy sources varies greatly from one country to the next. Coverage exceeds 50% in some ten countries including Portugal, Switzerland and Denmark. Norway’s renewable output exceeds its domestic consumption, though other types of generation are available if needed to ensure uninterrupted power supply throughout the year. Coverage rates exceed 30% in Germany as well as in Italy (33%) and Spain (39%).
Average coverage of electricity demand with renewable energies in ENTSO-E member countries is 34%.
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by renewable sources
Less than 10% 10 to 20% 20 to 50% More than 50%
Demand covered by hydropower
Hydropower covered an average 17.5% of demand in ENTSO-E countries. Coverage exceeds 50% in countries geographically situated in such a way as to allow a large number of hydropower plants (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden, etc.).
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by hydropower
Less than 5% 5 to 20% 20 to 40% More than 40%
Coverage of demand by wind power
Five countries stood out with wind power generation covering more than 15% of annual consumption, especially Denmark, where the rate was 40%, compared with an average of 9.5% in ENTSO-E countries, up 1.2 point from the previous period.
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by wind power
Data not available Less than 2% 2 to 5% 5 to 15%
More than 15%
Coverage of demand by solar power
Solar plants covered between 6% and 8% of demand in Germany, Italy and Greece, much higher than the average for ENTSO-E countries (3.1%).
Data calculated for the July 2015 to June 2016 period relative to previous 12 months
Coverage of demand by solar power
Less than 1% 1 to 5% More than 5%
Markets
Market prices in Europe are highly volatile
Average spot prices on power exchanges in 2016
Sources: European power exchanges (for Italy: Prezzo Unico Nazionale, or PUN)
France€36.75/MWh
Germany€28.98/MWh
Belgium€36.62/MWh
Netherlands€32.25/MWh
Great Britain€49.12/MWh
Spain€39.67/MWh
Italy€42.77/MWh
Switzerland€37.88/MWh
Nord Pool (system) €26.91/MWh
Market prices in more detail
Historical trends in European spot prices
Spot price trends over the past five yearsFr
ance
Ger
man
y
Italy
(PUN
)
Spai
n
Gre
at B
ritai
n
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
€/M
Wh
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
France Germany Belgium Netherlands Great Britain Spain
Italy (north) Switzerland
Weekly trend in average spot prices
2016 Fe
b
Mar Apr
May Jun Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
€/M
Wh
During the first eight months of the year, market prices were at their lowest level in more than a decade. Fossil fuel prices remained very depressed, and renewable energy generation was increasing in some European countries, particularly Germany. The latter saw negative prices during 97 hours, compared with just two hours in France.Spot prices began to surge across Europe in autumn, and price spikes were observed on many occasions in France, Great Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. This was due to the historically low availability of nuclear facilities in France starting in September as well as the unavailability over a long period of some nuclear reactors in Switzerland (notably in the second half) and Belgium (in the last quarter). The shutdown in the spring of 2016 of more than 4 GW of coal-fired capacity in Great Britain also contributed to frequent price spikes. At the same time, coal and gas prices were rising in Europe, rebounding back to their levels of 2014 and early 2015, respectively.Prices peaked at €874/MWh in France on Monday November 7 , between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, and exceeded €100/MWh during 75 hours (up from six in 2015). In Great Britain, the ceiling of £999/MWh (€1,174/MWh) set by the British exchanges was reached on Thursday 15 September at 8:00 pm (French time).
Hourly price trends in Europe during the main price spike periods in France
Hourly price trends in Europe during the main price spike periods in France
November 3rd, 2016
00h
01h
02h
03h
04h
05h
06h
07h
08h
09h
10h
11h
12h
13h
14h
15h
16h
17h
18h
19h
20h
21h
22h
23h
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
€/M
Wh
France Germany Belgium Netherlands Great Britain Spain
Italy (north) Switzerland
Market coupling guarantees the optimal use of exchange capacities
Day-ahead price coupling improves the economic efficiency of the european power system. It enables the creation of a single trading area and thus identical price zones when interconnection capacities do not limit cross-border exchanges. France has completed price coupling with most Western European markets over the past decade, and the coupled area will be expanded to include Eastern Europe over the coming years.
Remarkable examples of convergence are now seen regularly. For instance, on 19 January 2016, between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm, prices were identical from Portugal all the way to Finland.
Greater price convergence in the CWE region
One price: CWE convergence : 34.69%
Four different prices : 43.50%
Number of different prices within the CWE region (% of time during the year)
Situations of price convergence between France and its neighbouring countries increased across all coupled borders. In particular, price convergence within the CWE region rose to 35% from 19% in 2015.Average spreads between prices in France and Italy and Spain narrowed, in part thanks to the increase in exchange capacities at these borders.
France’s exchange balance was affected by lower exports late in the year
Two different prices : 5.26%
Three different prices : 16.55%
Overview of contractual trades in 2016
France exported 71.7 TWh and imported 32.6 TWh, for an exchange balance of 39.1 TWh. This was the country’s lowest exchange balance since 2010, reflecting a decline in exports throughout the second half. France even had a small import balance on average over one month in December, which had not occurred since February of 2012. During that month, France was a net importer from the CWE region and Great Britain.
The French export balance nonetheless set a new record during the year, reaching 15.9 GW on Sunday 31 January between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
Annual contractual trades
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
-50
0
50
100
TWh
Exports Imports Export balance
Go to RTE OpenDataa
FranceExports : 71.7 TWh Imports : 32.6 TWh
Balance : 39.1 TWh
Great Britain Exports : 12.7 TWh Imports : 2.7 TWh CWE
Exports : 10.6 TWh Imports : 15.9 TWh
SwitzerlandExports : 17.4 TWh Imports : 7.3 TWh
ItalyExports : 17.7 TWh Imports : 1.2 TWh
Spain Exports : 13.3 TWh Imports : 5.5 TWh
Difference between physical and contractual trades?
Contractual trades between countries are the result of commercial transactions between market players. Physical exchanges correspond to the electricity actually carried over interconnection lines directly linking countries.For instance, a commercial programme for imports on the Franco-Swiss border may be “counterbalanced” by significant exports to Italy, though from a physical standpoint some of the power will go through Switzerland after it leaves France.For a given country, the balance of physical exchanges over all of its borders and the balance of contractual trades with all of its neighbours are identical.
Increase in number of days with net imports
France was an importer over 1,198 hours, spread over 110 days. It was a net importer of energy on 46 days, the highest level since 2010. Nearly all of the days with net imports were in the last quarter, when demand was higher and the availability of nuclear power facilities was very limited.
Number of days with import balance on contractual trades
No. of days with import balance on contractual trades
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
50
100
150
200
No. of days with import balance in power terms over at least one hourly period No. of days with import balance in energy terms (net balance for day)
CWE Region
The flow-based coupling method
Flow-based coupling within the CWE region went live on 21 May 2015. Prior to that, these four price zones were coupled based on a Net Transfer Capacities (NTC) model, meaning that limitations on trading were set bilaterally at each border (one constraint per border and per direction, implicitly taking into account the state of the grid). Now, constraints explicitly take into account the physical network infrastructure in the four countries. Cross-border exchanges are thus optimised to reflect the actual physical capacities of networks as closely as possible. This requires very close coordination between TSOs within the region.In sum, it is no longer possible to consider borders separately, and indicators previously used for the France-Belgium and France-Germany borders have been replaced by France-CWE regional indicators.
Record imports from the CWE region
Since flow-based coupling began, maximum exchanges between France and the CWE region have exceeded by far the combined maximum France-Belgium and France-Germany exchanges (exports and imports) observed over more than five years with NTC. France’s exports reached 7,745 MW in July and imports reached 8,206 MW in December 2016, representing flexibility of around 16 GW for the French power system.
Maximum France-CWE export balance Maximum France-CWE import balance Average weekly France-CWE balance
Maximum NTC exports (FR-BE + FR-DE) Maximum NTC imports (FR-BE + FR-DE)
High/low weekly France-CWE exchange balances
Apr Jul
Oct
2015 Apr Jul
Oct
2016 Apr Jul
Oct
-10 000
-5 000
0
5 000
10 000
MW
For the first time since 2010, France was a net importer from the CWE region with a positive import balance of 5.3 TWh. The first half was comparable to the first half of 2015 (imports in winter and exports in summer), but the second half was very different, with import balances appearing once France’s nuclear power generation was reduced.
Monthly exchange balances with the CWE region
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
TWh
2015 2016
Go to RTE OpenData
Jan
Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct
Nov Dec
Exchange balance (daily average)
Daily exchanges between France and the CWE region in 2016
Jan
Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
-8 000
-6 000
-4 000
-2 000
0
2 000
4 000
6 000
MW
Spain
Increase in exchange capacities
The new Baixas–Santa Llogaia line brought into commercial service in 5 October 2015 allowed France-Spain commercial trades to reach 3,500 MW for exports and 2,983 MW for imports in November 2016. Changes made to system operating rules on the Spanish side starting in the spring of 2016 also boosted capacity for flows from Spain to France. Average capacity available in 2016 was 2,425 MW for exports and 1,950 MW for imports, more than double the amount the year before the line was commissioned (October 2014 to October 2015). Exchanges at this border were saturated (day-ahead) 70% of the time, down from 87% the year before the Baixas–Santa Llogaia line came into service.
Use of the France-Spain interconnection
72.2%
7.9%
5.0%
14.9%
Use of France-Spain interconnection for day-ahead trades over one year prior to commissioning of new line (05/10/2014-04/10/2015)
Exports saturated Exports not saturated Imports not saturated Imports saturated
52.6%
19.7%
10.5%
17.3%
Use of France-Spain interconnection for day-ahead trades in 2016
Exports saturated Exports not saturated Imports not saturated Imports saturated
The France-Spain interconnection setting records
This new interconnection sharply increased exchange capacity between the two countries, giving the European power system a real boost. With market coupling extended to the Iberian Peninsula since May 2014, the entire European power system has become more flexible, more secure and better integrated, making French and European industries more competitive.
High/low France-Spain exchange balances by month
jan.
201
5fe
b. 2
015
mar
. 201
5ap
r. 20
15m
ay 2
015
jun.
201
5ju
l. 20
15au
g. 2
015
sept
. 201
5oc
t. 20
15no
v. 2
015
dec.
201
5ja
n. 2
016
feb.
201
6m
ar. 2
016
apr.
2016
may
201
6ju
n. 2
016
jul.
2016
aug.
201
6se
pt. 2
016
oct.
2016
nov.
201
6de
c. 2
016
-4 000
-3 000
-2 000
-1 000
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
MW
Maximum France-Spain export balance Maximum France-Spain import balance Maximum export NTC
Maximum import NTC
France still a net exporter to Spain
France had never exported and imported as much energy across the Spanish border as it did in 2016. France exports to Spain much more often (72% of the time) than it imports.
The total export balance with the Iberian Peninsula reached a new record: 7.8 TWh, versus 7.3 TWh in 2015.
Monthly exchange balances with Spain
jan feb
marc
apr
may
jun jul
aug
sept oct
nov
dec
-0,5
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
TWh
2015 2016
Go to RTE OpenData
Exchange balance (daily average) Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for exports
Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for imports
Capacity and daily exchanges between France and Spain, 2014 to 2016
2014 Apr Jul
Oct
2015 Apr Jul
Oct
2016 Apr Jul
Oct
-3 000
-2 000
-1 000
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
MW
Prices in Spain are still shaped in large part by renewable energy generation, which during some months makes up more than half of the Spanish energy mix.
Renewable generation and spot prices in Spain
The months during which renewable generation is lowest are the months when prices are highest in the country and it imports the most from France (with the exception of late 2016, when prices in France were very high).
Trend in wholesale electricity prices in Spain and France
0
20
40
60
80
€/M
Wh
Average monthly spot price in Spain Average monthly spot price in France
Monthly renewable electricity production in Spain
jan.
201
3
apr.
2013
jul.
2013
oct.
2013
jan.
201
4
apr.
2014
jul.
2014
oct.
2014
jan.
201
5
apr.
2015
jul.
2015
oct.
2015
jan.
201
6
apr.
2016
jul.
2016
oct.
2016
0
5
10
15
TW
h
Wind Hydro Solar
Source: Red Eléctrica de España
jan.
201
3
apr.
2013
jul.
2013
oct.
2013
jan.
201
4
apr.
2014
jul.
2014
oct.
2014
jan.
201
5
apr.
2015
jul.
2015
oct.
2015
jan.
201
6
apr.
2016
jul.
2016
oct.
2016
Italy
Commercial capacities made available to market players for exports (NTC) reached 3,459 MW during some hours, which was 309 MW more than in 2015. This was made possible by the adoption of a new “coordinated” methodology for calculating exchange capacities at Italy’s northern borders, effective since 1 February 2016, for flows from France to Italy.France remained very much a net exporter to Italy, with an export balance of 16.5 TWh, though exports to Italy declined late in the year. The interconnection was used for imports more, with 815 hours of imports, up from 103 in 2015.The border was not saturated as often as in 2015 (69% of the time versus 87% in 2015).
Monthly exchange balances with Italy
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
2,5
TWh
2015 2016
Go to RTE OpenData
In the spring and summer, Italy must limit its imports on days when demand is low. Indeed, given the large amount of solar capacity installed, the country must keep in operation a sufficient number of thermal plants capable of modulating their output and ensuring the stability of the power system.
Exchange balance (daily average) Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for exports
Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for imports
Capacity and daily exchanges between France and Italy in 2016
2016 Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
-2 000
-1 000
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
MW
jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Switzerland
France’s export balance with Switzerland ended the year at 10.1 TWh, which was lower than in 2015. The interconnection was used less between May and September. But it was used a lot for exports the rest of the year.
Monthly exchange balances with Switzerland
-0,5
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
2,5
TWh
2015 2016
Go to RTE OpenData
Exchange balance (daily average) Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for exports
Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for imports
Capacity and daily exchanges between France and Switzerland in 2016
2016 Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
-2 000
-1 000
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
MW
Great Britain
France exported much more to Great Britain than it imported during the first eight months of the year. The balance narrowed in September, and then France became an importer from October, when prices were often equal to or higher than those observed in Britain. The export balance was 10 TWh, which was 4 TWh lower than in 2015. The interconnection was thus used more frequently for imports - 17% of the time, compared with less than 3% in 2015.
jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Monthly exchange balances with Great Britain
jan
-0,5
0,0
0,5
1,0
1,5
2,0
TWh
2015 2016
Go to RTE OpenData
Capacity and daily exchanges between France and Great Britain in 2016
2016 Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
-2 500
-2 000
-1 500
-1 000
-500
0
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
MW
Exchange balance (daily average) Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for exports
Exchange capacity (NTC, daily average) for imports
RTE is following the evolutions in cross-border exchange mechanisms
From the beginning, RTE has been working with market stakeholders, and in accordance with the principles set forth in the European network codes, to develop mechanisms that facilitate the opening of the French electricity market and its integration within Europe:
Several exchanges will be competing in France by mid-2017 at the earliest, which will make the French market places more liquid. EPEX Spot and Nord Pool were selected through a call for applications. The European regulation on capacity allocation and congestion management (CACM) defines how market operators (electricity exchanges) are to be selected to participate in day-ahead and intraday marketing coupling. These operators, called NEMOs (Nominated Electricity Market Operators), are selected in each country by regulators (the CRE in France).
The methodologies for calculating the commercial capacities offered to market players are often optimised on all borders, which enhances market fluidity. Coordinated calculation processes, complying with the objectives of the CACM regulation, will be put into place for two-day ahead transactions on the France-Spain border and for intraday exchanges between France and Italy and France and the CWE region.
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov Dec
Flexibility
Activities of the balance responsible parties
The balance responsible parties system allows consumers, generators, suppliers and traders to conduct all types of commercial transactions in the electricity market, on timeframes ranging from several years ahead to almost real time. Thanks to the additional flexibility this mechanism provides, players can respond to a wide variety of contingencies and uncertainties. Each balance responsible parties creates an activity portfolio and agrees to settle the costs resulting from imbalances between generation and consumption within the portfolio, as recorded afterwards the parties. The parties have a financial incentive to maintain a balance within their portfolios and thus contribute to the equilibrium of the French power system. At the end of 2016, there were 191 balance responsible parties with valid contracts. Of these, 133 were active during the year, and 31 made significant injections into or withdrawals from the grid.
Transactions conducted by balance responsible entities on markets
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
200
400
600
800
TWh
BRE-BRE NEB ARENH VPP Exchange
Purchases of PTS losses (outside the exchange)
Go to RTE OpenData
Increase in transactions between balance responsible parties
Transactions conducted by balance responsible parties increased overall in 2016, with:
A jump in OTC transactions (Block Exchange Notifications, or NEB) relative to 2015. Some of this increase was driven by the transfer of renewable generation subject to feed-in tariffs into the portfolio of a dedicated balance responsible party.A 4% rise in transactions on the Spot exchange. Trading volumes on the French day-ahead power exchange rose above 10 TWh three times, in January, May and June.A rise in intraday trades, in line with previous years, mainly reflecting OTC transactions (up by one third between 2015 and 2016) and, to a lesser degree, trading on the exchange. These mechanisms give balance responsible parties the flexibility to operate in close to real time.No ARENH trading in 2016: The ARENH price of €42/MWh was not competitive relative to other market products (OTC and exchange), which market players favoured. However, forward prices for delivery early in 2017 rose in the second half of the year, such that 40.75 TWh of ARENH power was subscribed for the first half of 2017.
Transactions conducted by balance responsible parties on EPEX Spot France (monthly totals)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
Décember
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
TWh
2015 2016
Intraday transactions conducted by balance responsible parties
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
TWh
Exports Imports
Exchange (sales) Exchange (purchases)
NEB sales (upward re-declarations) NEB purchases (upward re-declarations)
NEB sales (downward re-declarations) NEB purchases (downward re-declarations)
Balancing mechanism
The Balancing Mechanism allows RTE to modulate generation, consumption and exchange levels to ensure that electricity supply and demand are always balanced. The mechanism involves the selection of offers submitted by balancing actors based on the merit order and identified needs.
Increase in balancing coming from other countriesTotal balancing volumes rose year-on-year in 2016, to 7.63 TWh. They represented about 1% of the total trading volumes of balance responsible parties. Balancing coming from foreign players surged (to 1.93 TWh versus 1.33 TWh in 2015).
Volumes balanced on the Balancing Mechanism
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2014
2015
2016
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
TWh
Upward hydro Downward hydro
Upward nuclear Downward nuclear
Upward fossil-fired thermal Downward fossil-fired thermal
Upward TSO-Actor exchanges Downward TSO-Actor exchanges
Upward TSO-TSO exchanges (BALIT/Backup) Downward TSO-TSO exchanges (BALIT/Backup)
Demand response
Go to RTE OpenData
Average cost of balancing transactions
Average cost of transactions on the Balancing Mechanism20
04
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
-100
-50
0
50
100
150
€/M
Wh
Downward (payment from actors to RTE)
Upward (payment from RTE to actors)
Note: Average cost includes potential start-up costs.
The number of supply-demand imbalance situations increased due to labour social movements at production firms through September. Apart from one day in December, there we no instances of supply-demand imbalances on the Balancing Mechanism during the periods late in the year when market prices were high. Indeed, the balance responsible entity mechanism encourages players to maintain balances, or pay imbalance settlements at a price above the market price.
Supply-demand imbalance situations (number of half days)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Upward downward
Note: A supply-demand imbalance situation is considered to exist when RTE generates one or more messages about insufficient offers on the Balancing Mechanism (alerts or degraded mode) so that actors will submit additional offers.
Load shedding
Load shedding remunerated through a number of mechanisms
Load shedding is a source of flexibility. It involves consumers cancelling or postponing all or part of their consumption in response to a signal. Market players can use load shedding to optimise their own portfolios or to sell energy directly to other players or to RTE.
There are two main categories of load shedding that contribute to the supply-demand balance:
Industrial load shedding, when consumption is reduced at one or more industrial sites (either by shutting down processes or by switching over to own consumption). In these cases, load shedding can be proposed either directly by the industrial user or through an aggregator or supplier.Distributed load shedding, or the aggregation through an aggregator or supplier of individual load shedding actions involving smaller demand volumes, all carried out at the same time by residential or professional customers.
All segments of the power market are now open to load shedding, and it is playing an active role:
Since 2003, it has been possible to offer load shedding on the Balancing Mechanism.Since 2008, RTE has been contracting load shedding capacity with balancing actors to guarantee the availability of this capacity on the Balancing Mechanism.Since 2011, RTE has been contracting load shedding capacity that can be activated on very short notice for the rapid and complementary reserves. In 2016, this capacity made up 40% of total volumes contracted for these reserves.Since January 2014, it has been possible to sell load shedding capacity directly on energy markets through the NEBEF (Block Exchange Notification of Demand Response) mechanism.Since July 2014, industrial consumers have been able to participate in frequency ancillary services by offering load shedding (1 MW minimum). These reserves, which can be automatically activated in timeframes ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes, are critical to keeping supply and demand balanced. Previously, only generation facilities could participate. In 2016, load shedding capacity could contribute as much as 10% of the primary reserve.
In 2016, 1,875 MW of load shedding capacity was certified through the capacity mechanism for 2017. This mechanism makes it possible to secure power supply by anticipating medium-term needs and encouraging investment in generation or load shedding capacity.
Demand response tariffs
Tariff-based demand response
Traditional tariff-based demand response schemes Special tariffs have been introduced to help maintain the supply-demand balance, notably during peak periods in winter, focusing on the demand side rather than supply in order to keep peak demand in check.
“EJP” (Effacement Jour de Pointe) tariffs, introduced in the 1980s, involved raising supply prices in times of system stress but not for more than 22 days a year and only during the winter months. Users have not been able to sign up for these tariffs since 1998, and their effects have been diminishing since. “Green” and “yellow” regulated tariffs were phased out on 1 January 2016, and the corresponding contracts have been terminated. Former customers had to sign up for new contracts that apply market rates, with or without load shedding. It is also possible to realise value on demand response through market mechanisms.
Other demand response tariffs for the mass market (professional and retail customers) were introduced in the 1990s with the Tempo signal. RTE has been managing the Tempo signal since 1 November 2014 and providing information about it through éCO2mix to allow all suppliers to offer contracts that include demand response.
RTE estimates the demand response made available through these two schemes (EJP and Tempo, all sectors) in the winter of 2016-17 at 800 MW, unchanged since 1 January 2016, down from about 6,000 MW in the late 1990s.
EcoWatt – Focused on the territoriesEcoWatt is a voluntary scheme introduced in Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, two regions where power supply is precarious. It aims to help local residents reduce their power consumption, notably during peak hours in winter.RTE launched the EcoWatt scheme in Brittany in 2008 with the State, the Regional Council of Brittany, Enedis and ADEME.This initiative supports the Demand-Side Management component of the Breton Electric Pact which, together with the two other focal points (renewable energy development and network security), addresses all of Brittany’s electricity supply concerns.There are now 58,200 EcoWatt participants in Brittany, for a 3.7% increase from the previous winter. Work also got under way in September of 2015 on the Brittany safety net, which aims to ensure better supply to the region starting in 2017. The EcoWatt warning system continues to play a vital role for the region in the meantime.In Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, EcoWatt is a joint initiative between RTE, the State, ADEME, the local regional council, the Alpes-Maritimes department, the principality of Monaco and Enedis.Since the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur safety net service was launched in 2015, the mechanism has been used to inform the 32,000 residents who have signed up, as well as local media, of the winter days when power consumption is at its highest at the regional level between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Households, businesses and local authorities can thus voluntarily adjust their consumption behaviour to help keep peak demand in the region in check. The 2016-2017 season kicked off on 8 December in Brittany and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
Load shedding on the Balancing Mechanism
The tender launched in 2016 allowed RTE to secure a large volume of load shedding capacity.
Therefore, load shedding capacity offered on the Balancing Mechanism through this tender, for the rapid and complementary reserves or as free offers, rose sharply: in 2016, RTE had at least 174 MW of capacity available at all times, and the maximum offered was 2,263 MW. The average load shedding capacity made available to the Balancing Mechanism was 574 MW (+46% from 2015). This capacity helps enhance power system margins. Load shedding volumes activated on the Balancing Mechanism rose 9% in 2016, to 16 GWh.
However, when seeking to activate load shedding capacity during the year, RTE observed that the default rate was rising, and even reached 70%. RTE thus proposed a “reliability package” for the load shedding capacity under contract for 2017 to guarantee that it will be effectively available (random tests, systematic controls, publication of individual indicators, site agreements, etc.). With these new conditions in place, the total amount under contract for 2017 ranges between 750 MW and 1,450 MW for the load shedding tender and stands at 500 MW for the rapid and complementary reserves.
Load shedding volumes on the Balancing Mechanism
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0
5
10
15
20
25
GW
h
Trend in load shedding capacity on the Balancing Mechanism
Trend in load shedding capacity
Minimum, mean and maximum load shedding capacity available on the Balancing Mechanism per week
2014-01
2014-05
2014-09
2014-13
2014-17
2014-21
2014-25
2014-29
2014-33
2014-37
2014-41
2014-45
2014-49
2015-01
2015-05
2015-09
2015-13
2015-17
2015-21
2015-25
2015-29
2015-33
2015-37
2015-41
2015-45
2015-49
2015-53
2016-04
2016-08
2016-12
2016-16
2016-20
2016-24
2016-28
2016-32
2016-36
2016-40
2016-44
2016-48
2016-510
500
1 000
1 500
2 000
2 500
MW
Minimum capacity offered Maximum capacity offered Mean capacity offered
More than 100 MW of load shedding capacity was activated 12 days during the year, and a record 1,919 MW of load shedding was called on the Balancing Mechanism on February 18th 2016. The total load effectively shed was just 786 MW. This type of default was observed on several occasions, and was the reason for the creation of the “reliability package” agreed upon with market players and in effect since January 1st 2017.
Maximum load shed each day on the Balancing Mechanism
01/0
1/20
16
29/0
1/20
16
26/0
2/20
16
25/0
3/20
16
22/0
4/20
16
20/0
5/20
16
17/0
6/20
16
15/0
7/20
16
12/0
8/20
16
09/0
9/20
16
07/1
0/20
16
04/1
1/20
16
02/1
2/20
16
30/1
2/20
16
0
200
400
600
800
1 000
1 200
MW
Maximum load shedding capacity activated (taking into account technical constraints declared in real time)
Maximum load shed
Go to RTE OpenData
NEBEFFor the third year now, the “NEBEF” mechanism (Block Exchange Notification of Demand Response) has allowed players to use or sell load shedding directly through the market. Players inform RTE of the load shedding planned for the next day and now have the option of re-declaring schedules at the intraday scale. RTE verifies after the fact that loads shed correspond to the schedules submitted by actors.By the end of 2016, the number of actors having entered into contracts with RTE to participate in the mechanism had risen to 24 (six more than in 2015).Load shedding volumes on the NEBEF mechanism surged to 11 GWh in 2016.
New rules, designed with input from market players in 2016 and taking effect on January 1st 2017, notably call for verification methods that will make it possible to use or sell ong-term load shedding and ensure consistency with the implementation of the capacity mechanism.
Number of actors signed up to participate in NEBEF mechanism
janv. 2014
févr. 2014
mars 2014
avr. 2014
mai 2014
juin 2014
juil. 2014
août 2014
sept. 2014
oct. 2014
nov. 2014
déc. 2014
janv. 2015
févr. 2015
mars 2015
avr. 2015
mai 2015
juin 2015
juil. 2015
août 2015
sept. 2015
oct. 2015
nov. 2015
déc. 2015
janv. 2016
févr. 2016
mars 2016
avr. 2016
mai 2016
juin 2016
juil. 2016
août 2016
sept. 2016
oct. 2016
nov. 2016
déc. 2016
0
5
10
15
20
25
Load shedding volumes on the NEBEF mechanism
janv. 2014
févr. 2014
mars-14
avr. 2014
mai-14juin-14
juil. 2014
août-14
sept. 2014
oct. 2014
nov. 2014
déc. 2014
janv. 2015
févr. 2015
mars-15
avr. 2015
mai-15juin-15
juil. 2015
août-15
sept. 2015
oct. 2015
nov. 2015
déc. 2015
janv. 2016
févr. 2016
mars-16
avr. 2016
mai-16juin-16
juil. 2016
août-16
sept. 2016
oct. 2016
nov. 2016
déc. 2016
0
1 000
2 000
3 000
4 000
5 000
MW
h
Actual load shedding Declared load shedding
Note: Verifications of actual load shedding volumes for December are not yet available
Load shedding via NEBEF is primarily concentrated in three periods of the day: between 11:00 pm and 2:00 am, during the morning load ramp-up period in France (5:00 am to 1:00 pm) and during the evening peak, between 5:00 and 11:00 pm.
Nearly all load shedding declared is at times when spot prices are above the median annual spot price in France, and nearly half is during the 10% of hourly periods when prices are the highest of the year.
Additional NEBEF indicators
Detailed NEBEF indicators
>97 /MWh: 5.73%
62-97 /MWh: 42.13%32-62 /MWh: 51.13%
<32 /MWh: 1.02%
Breakdown of load shedding volumes declared on NEBEF based on spot prices in 2016
>97 /MWh 62-97 /MWh 32-62 /MWh <32 /MWh
€32/MWh is the annual median price in France, €62/MWh the bottom decile and €97/MWh the bottom centile
Total load shedding volumes for the year in half-hourly increments and average value at spot price
00h0
0
01h3
0
03h0
0
04h3
0
06h0
0
07h3
0
09h0
0
10h3
0
12h0
0
13h3
0
15h0
0
16h3
0
18h0
0
19h3
0
21h0
0
22h3
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
MW
h
€/M
Wh
Load shedding declared Average spot price weighted by declared load shedding volumes
Average spot price
Capacity mechanism
Launch of the French capacity mechanism The goal of implementing a capacity mechanism from 2017, in compliance with the NOME Act, is to guarantee security of supply in France, particularly during periods when demand is very high. This mechanism creates a new obligation for electricity suppliers to contribute to security of supply in proportion to their customers’ peak period power and energy consumption. Holding suppliers responsible for their customers’ power consumption is notably a way to contain peak demand growth by creating an economic incentive for them to consume less. Value can also be realised on available supply through capacity certificates.On 8 November 2016, the European Commission gave a green light for the French capacity mechanism to be implemented, with conditions. On 29 November 2016, new mechanism rules were approved by the Energy Ministry and Energy Regulatory Commission, to be applied starting in the first delivery year (2017).
The capacity mechanism involves imposing an obligation for suppliers to hold capacity certificates and for capacity operators to have their capacities certified through contracts.
Suppliers and other obligated parties must demonstrate, for each delivery year, that they hold a quantity of capacity certificates matching the calculation of their customers’ consumption during peak periods, after this figure is extrapolated to the reference extreme temperature to ensure that the security of supply criterion defined in article L.335-2 of the Energy Code will be met.
After the delivery year, RTE informs each obligated party of the imbalance between its obligation and the capacity certificates held, and of the corresponding settlement due.
Generators and demand-side operators enter into certification contracts with RTE for their capacities. Through these contracts, they commit to specific capacity levels and to making that capacity available when supply is tight in winter. They are issued capacity certificates based on the contribution of the capacity offered to security of supply. At the end of the delivery year, RTE verifies that the capacities were effectively made available.
Once the first capacities have been effectively certified, operators and suppliers can trade capacity certificates up until the transfer deadline, which is after the end of the delivery year.
Forward indicators for the capacity obligation
Every year, with its Generation Adequacy Report, RTE publishes a forecast of capacity needs over the next five years using the concepts of “reference power” and capacity obligation.“Reference power” represents the contribution of all French consumers to the shortfall risk during the delivery years considered. It must be covered by interconnections and generation and load shedding capacity in France. Multiplying this “reference power” by the security factor applied under the mechanism yields the French capacity obligation that must be met by all obligated parties. This security factor (which notably takes into account how interconnections can contribute to covering this “reference power”) has been set at 0.93 for the first three delivery years of the mechanism.The values shown in the table below represent the anticipated total obligation for France, calculated based on 200 climate scenarios, under the three demand variants used in the Generation Adequacy Report (reference, high and low).2017 corresponds to the first delivery year of the mechanism.
For more details, please see the 2016 Generation Adequacy Report.
Demandvariants in 2016
Generation Adequacy Report
High
Reference
Low
Forecast total capacity
obligation for France in 2017
(GW)
90.7
89.7
88.4
Forecast total capacity
obligation for France in 2018
(GW)
91.0
89.6
87.7
Forecast total capacity
obligation for France in 2019
(GW)
91.2
89.4
87.0
Forecast total capacity
obligation for France in 2020
(GW)
91.4
89.1
86.1
Forecast total capacity
obligation for France in 2021
(GW)
91.5
88.7
85.3
Suppliers can take measures to reduce their customers’ consumption. For the 2017 delivery year, 865 MW of demand response actions reduced the obligation of the suppliers in question by that same amount.
Breakdown and level of total capacity certified
54147
28
7
1875
1873
4976
8630
5659
4558
4094
3698
2384219
Breakdown of capacity certified by technology (MW)
At 31 December 2016: 92,148 MW in all
Nuclear Biomass Industrial waste Load shedding Onshore wind
Run-of-river and pondage Gas/coal Reservoir Multi-technology Other
Hydro pumping Oil Solar
The entities certified, and thus their technologies, are defined at the site level.Rebalancing is possible during the delivery year so that certification reflects available capacity as accurately as possible.
Many capacity certificates for the 2017 delivery year were transferred between market players in 2016:
54.4 GW through OTC trades or internal transfers.About 9 GW were transferred to suppliers that had purchased ARENH power in November 2016. 22.6 GW were exchanged during the first certificate auction on the exchange, organised on 15 December 2016. The price was €999.98 per 0.1 MW certificate. For delivery year 2017, a regulatory ceiling of €20/kW has been set.
These transactions are proof that the certificate market is liquid. Another auction for delivery year 2017 will be held in 2017, as will auctions for future delivery years.
Details of these transactions can be found in the capacity certificates register.
Evolution of flexibility mechanisms
After the European Commission investigated the capacity mechanism and approved it with conditions, RTE proposed the following changes:
Participation of cross-border capacities in the mechanism.Development of a framework that favours investment in new capacity.Strengthening of competition and the oversight of players participating in the mechanism.
These three changes will be implemented gradually, taking into account the regulatory and operational constraints associated with each of them.
The competition component was the first to be transposed into French regulations via a revision of the mechanism rules approved on 29 November 2016.
Transmission network
How the network evolved in 2016
Length of lines
With 105,660 km of lines in service, RTE continues to develop the transmission network to guarantee security of supply to the territories and regions and boost the network’s ability to accommodate more renewable generation.
One highlight of the year was the completion of the Lonny – Seuil – Vesle project in the Grand Est region, with the rehabilitation of the 400 kV line connecting the Rheims area (Marne) and Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes).
The network in service was expanded by 212 km in 2016. New underground lines (newly created and overhead lines newly undergrounded) totalled 435 km, while 517 km of overhead lines were taken down (permanently or for replacement) during the year.
Overhead Total
100,412 105,448
Length of lines in service (km)
At 31 december 2015
New 487 938
89 366
397 413
Newly added
Replaced
Overhead lines buried 0
Underground
5,036
451
276
16
159 159
-517 -10 -527
-179 -20 -199
100,203 5,457 105,660
Scrapped
Other modifications (placed in reserve, length adjustments, etc.)
At 31 december 2016
Change 2016-2015 -209 421 212
105 448 km
+524 km
+413 km-527 km
-199 km
105 660 km
Change in length of lines in service
At 31 December 2015 New (including overhead lines buried) Replaced Scrapped Other (placed in reserve, length adjustments, etc.)
At 31 December 2016
In 2016, more than 524 km of new lines (not including replacements) were brought into service. With the exception of the 79 km new 400 kV overhead line between the Lonny and Vesle substations, nearly all of the new lines brought into service were laid underground. RTE also replaced more than 413 km of overhead and underground lines on its network.
New lines (excluding replacements)
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
km
Underground 400 kV and 225 kV Underground 90 kV and 63 kV Overhead 400 kV and 225 kV
Overhead 90 kV and 63 kV
Go to RTE OpenData
Substation connectionsA total of 30 new substations were connected to the public transmission network in 2016, including 15 very high voltage substations. In particular, the creation of a 400/225 kV substation at the Limeux site in the Somme, connected to the 400 kV Argœuves – Penly line, will facilitate the accommodation of wind power generation going forward and also help guarantee security of supply to the region.
The 225 kV substation at Orvault, in Loire-Atlantique, will strengthen security of supply to the Nantes area, while the one at Laveyrune, in Ardèche, will enable the evacuation of the wind power expected to be generated in the region.
New and replaced lines
400 kV and 225 kV
Overhead Conductors were replaced along 226 km of 400 kV and 225 kV overhead lines in 2016, a very large majority of them as part of two projects in the Occitanie and Grand Est regions: rehabilitation of the 225 kV Barbuise – Creney line, in the Aude, where conductors were reaching the end of their useful life, and the commissioning of the new 400 kV Lonny – Seuil – Vesle line.
UndergroundA total of 66 km of new 225 kV underground lines were brought into service. Examples include the 225 kV Blocaux – Limeux link in the Somme, designed to guarantee security of supply to Amiens and accommodate wind power generation. The two 225 kV Oudon – Le Pertre links in Brittany also went live, and they will help bring power to the Brittany-Pays de la Loire high-speed train line. Lastly, the 225 kV Bruges – Le Marquis link commissioned early in the year will enhance security of supply and allow more power to be brought to the Bordeaux area.
63 kV and 90 kV
UndergroundThe length of underground lines operated at voltages of 63 kV and 90 kV increased in 2016, with 369 km of new links brought into service. RTE notably commissioned:
the 90 kV Avellin – Orchies link in the Nord region (enhancing security of supply to Lille),the 90 kV Champdeniers-Saint-Denis – Niort link in the Deux-Sèvres region (connection of a distributor customer),the 63 kV Moirans – Vinay linke in the Isère region (enhancing security of supply to Sud-Grésivaudan),the 63 kV Kembs – Waldighoffen link in the Haut-Rhin (network restructuring),the 63 kV Rumengol – Saint-Coulitz link in the Finistère (network restructuring)
The undergrounding rate for new 63 kV and 90 kV infrastructure was flat at 99% in 2016 and has averaged 96% over the past three years (2014–2016).
Undergrounding rate for 63 kV and 90 kV lines
2001
-200
3
2002
-200
4
2003
-200
5
2004
-200
6
2005
-200
7
2006
-200
8
2007
-200
9
2008
-201
0
2009
-201
1
2010
-201
2
2011
-201
3
2012
-201
4
2013
-201
5
2014
-201
620
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
%
OverheadIn an effort to make the power grid more secure, conductors were replaced on some 63 kV and 90 kV overhead lines over 142 km in total. Examples include the replacement of the 90 kV Mauriac – La Mole line in the Cantal, the Bois-Renaud – Juine link in the Essonne and the Dambrion – Tivernon line in the Loiret.
Just 2 km of new lines were brought into service during the year.
Overhead and underground lines: Complementary technologiesA variety of solutions are leveraged in expanding the transmission grid, taking into account technical, economic, environmental and social factors. Two technologies are used: overhead and underground lines.
Under its Public Service Contract, RTE has committed not to increase the total amount of overhead lines (removals offset creations) and to install at least 30% of new lines underground.
The difference in investment costs between overhead and underground lines depends on voltage levels: Costs are the same for 63 kV and 90 kV, but underground lines cost about twice as much as overhead lines for 225 kV and eight times as much for 400 kV (*).
Underground lines currently represent: 7% of all 63/90 kV lines,5% of 225 kV lines anda negligible share of 400 kV lines.
* With AC 400 kV, underground cables are quite expensive and substations must be installed every 20 km to offset the capacitive effect of the cables. At this voltage level, DC technology can be an option. The cost is the same as an overhead AC line but transmission capacity is three to five times lower.
Source: 2016 Ten-year Network Development Plan
2016 highlights
Rehabilitation of the 400 kV Lonny – Seuil – Vesle lineOne highlight of 2016 was the completion of the 400 kV Lonny – Seuil – Vesle line.
Connecting the Rheims area (Marne) to Charleville-Mézières and running through Rethel (Ardennes), the project involved making the very high voltage link a double-circuit line to bolster power supply to the region, both to keep up with the region’s economic growth and facilitate the expansion of renewable energy generation. Indeed, the Grand Est region is home to almost 25% of France’s wind power capacity with some 1,500 MW in the connection queue.
Construction began on the new link in February of 2015 and was completed in September 2016, when the line went into service. Work began in October 2016 to remove the old line, and it should be completed by the end of 2017.
Reconstructed as a double-circuit line
Link reconstructed as a double-circuit line
Transforming this “single-circuit” line into a “double-circuit” one makes it possible to maintain only one line of pylons in the area, continuing to connect the Lonny and Vesle substations and moving through the Seuil station.
The new line also has two “quadruple bundle” circuits, whereas the old one only had a “double bundle”.
This new system makes it possible to meet all transmission needs while limiting losses. Indeed, with four cables, energy is more evenly distributed, limiting Joule effect losses while electricity moves through a cable.
To find out more, please see the articles in MAG RTE&Vous.
Creation of a 400/225 kV substation in Limeux
Based on the wind power development areas (zones de développement de l’éolien - ZDE) identified for the Somme department, it was necessary to strengthen the high and very high voltage grid to address security of supply concerns in the region and to accommodate renewable energies. It was for these reasons that a new 400/225 kV substation was created in Limeux with a 600 MVA autotransformer, and that the 400 kV substation was connected to the Argœuves – Penly line. It went into service in May after three years of consultations and more than a year of construction work.
At the same time, a new 29 km 225 kV overhead-underground link was commissioned between the new Limeux substation and the existing one at Blocaux, in Gauville (Somme), enhancing security of supply to the Amiens area and making it easier to accommodate local renewable energy generation.
Testing the “Next Generation Substation”
The experiment was conducted with two demonstrators, at the Blocaux and Alleux sites in the Amiens region. Digital and optics technologies were leveraged to design a solution that will optimise the use of the existing network (RTE and Enedis). It is built around an efficient communication network and appropriately robust cybersecurity solution.
The “next generation substation” will enhance grid operations and notably make it possible to return to normal operations more quickly after a failure. It will adapt to climate conditions to optimise infrastructure capacity, notably via Dynamic Line Rating technology, thanks to which line capacity can be reassessed in real time factoring in wind speed to adapt to the variability of renewable energy sources.
Maintenance operations will also be optimised since it will be possible to access equipment remotely for configuration, supervision and surveillance.
The first phases of this project were completed in May 2016. The feedback phase will occur in 2017, after which decisions will be made about how these innovative technologies will be deployed in other regions.
The project is being conducted by a consortium of six France-based industrial firms* under the aegis of RTE. It will run from 2013 to 2017.Validated in 2012 by the Commissioner General for Investment (Commissariat Général d’Investissement) as part of the “investments in the future” programme, the project is monitored and subsidised by Ademe.
*General Electric, Alcatel-Lucent, Schneider, Neelogy, Enedis and Ademe
Creation of 400 kV voltage level at Plan d’Orgon to improve security of supply to the Vaucluse
The Vaucluse department gets power primarily from 225 kV injections at the Bollène, l’Ardoise, Jonquières and Plan-d’Orgon substations.
The specific power supply needs of customer ITER make it necessary to operate the existing 225 kV Boutre – Plan-d’Orgon – Tavel link at 400 kV, which consequently eliminates the 225 kV injection at Plan-d’Orgon which is connected to this line. The creation of a 400/225 kV injection point to provide power to the Vaucluse was thus required.
The new 400 kV voltage level at the Plan-d’Orgon substation thus helps guarantee security of supply to the Vaucluse, and it is also part of the effort to structure the 225 kV network to make it less dependent on generation conditions in the Bouches-du-Rhône.
Creation of the Orvault 225/63 kV substation to improve security of supply to Nantes The Nantes region is expanding fast, and its population is growing along with it. If power demand rose proportionately, it would cause saturation on the grid bringing power to the region, preventing Enedis from connecting the substations planned under the best possible conditions. The high and very high voltage network thus had to be adapted to make it possible to bring more power into the region over the long term and guarantee security of supply.
This project, which got under way in 2010, was completed late in 2016 when the 225/63 kV Orvault substation was brought into service and connected to the 225 kV Cordemais – Saint-Joseph line.
Carte des principales mises en service en 2016
2016 Ten-Year Network Development Plan
For more information about network development, see the 2016 Ten-year Network Development Plan.
Main projects brought into service in 2016
RTE invested €1.5 billion in 2016
RTE’s investments within the scope of businesses regulated by the CRE totalled €1,519 million in 2016. Investments chiefly targeted the commissioning of the 400 kV line between Charleville and Rheims, continued construction work on the French side of the new direct current line between France and Italy, which will run through the service gallery in the Fréjus tunnel, the restructuring of the 225 kV network in Haute Durance, the 2Loires project involving reconstruction of the 225 kV segment interconnecting the Auvergne region, the Rhône Valley and the Massif Central, and grid strengthening in Centre Bretagne. Some 60% of total investments were for upgrades to existing infrastructure.
RTE investments €m
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
400
600
800
1 000
1 200
1 400
1 600
M€
The investment programme for 2017, approved by the regulator, is close is €1,525 million. A portion of planned investments relate to customer connection needs that are financed largely by requestors through investment subsidies. The year-on-year stability of the budget reflects a number of factors: phases involving significant investments in the Savoy-Piedmont and Haute Durance projects, the continuation of other large development projects, including 2Loires, and further steep investments in information systems, while other projects, including the Brittany safety net, will require less funding.
RTE plans its investments knowing that, over the coming years, rising to the challenges of the energy transition will require considerable effort. Indeed, the French transmission grid will play a key role in accommodating new generation sources (including offshore wind farms), integrating the European energy market (by boosting cross-border exchange capacity) and ensuring the operational safety of the networks and quality of supply to the different consumption areas and regions.
A total of 51% of the projects planned for the 2017-2020 period are designed to improve security of supply while nearly 30% aim primarily to accommodate the new energy mix. Developing new interconnections will capture 14% of investments and another 6% will go to projects that will make the power system safer.
Interconnection development
Power system safety
Accommodation of new energy mix
Security of power supply
Breakdown of grid investments by purpose (2017-2020)
To keep pace with these changes, RTE focuses in priority on existing infrastructure. Indeed, 66% of the investments planned aim to renovate or adapt the existing grid.
RTE also intends to develop the digital technologies that will allow it to optimise grid management, maintenance and upgrade decisions. They must in all cases be rolled out with high voltage infrastructure.
RTE investments
RTE standing up for the environment and biodiversity RTE is taking action to reduce the environmental impact of its activities by utilising its resources and energy more efficiently. In 2004, RTE launched a proactive initiative to reduce leakage of SF6, a gas with a strong greenhouse effect. SF6 is currently indispensable to the electrical insulation of RTE equipment, including substations inside buildings (Gas-Insulated Substations, which society has come to expect). In 2016, SF6 emissions totalled 6.4 tonnes. RTE thus decided to step up its action plan. Compared with the 2008 level, emissions have been reduced by almost 17%.
RTE is also forging partnerships to turn its power line corridors into corridors of biodiversity. The fact is that most of RTE’s infrastructure is located in agricultural areas (70%) or wooded regions (20%), and some 23,000 km of power line corridors cross through protected natural areas.
Protecting and encouraging the development of biodiversity are cornerstones of RTE’s environmental policy. Its commitment is recognised as part of the “2011-2020 National Strategy for Biodiversity” by the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.
In 2016, RTE developed a total surface area of 777 hectares as biodiversity-friendly areas through partnerships with local players. These efforts have strengthened RTE’s roots in the regions.
Detailed sustainable development information can be found in RTE’s Management Report.
Biodiversity: Building and preserving all natural areas
Biodiversity
Set apart from human activity, the open space near RTE’s infrastructure forms a refuge for fauna and flora. Innovative land planning, research, partnerships, training… MAG RTE&Vous features stories that describe how RTE teams are mobilising throughout France to preserve and encourage the development of biodiversity under power lines.
Map of main projects under way
Main projects under way
Connecting offshore wind farms
Connection of offshore wind farms
France has set a target of having 6,000 MW of offshore wind power installed by 2020 and having this capacity cover 3.5% of total consumption starting that year. Offshore wind development offers significant power generation potential in France given the country’s natural assets (11 million km2 of water in its jurisdiction). Known resources are primarily concentrated off the coasts of Normandy, Brittany and Pays de la Loire. The government has launched two calls for tenders for the construction of six offshore wind farms in these areas. These projects aim to connect to the French power grid some 3,000 MW of offshore capacity represented by more than 400 offshore wind turbines. RTE is in charge of studying and handling the connection of these farms. The solution being considered involves creating 225 kV double-circuit lines, starting out underwater between the wind farm connected to the offshore substation and the landing point and then running underground between the landing point and the 225 kV substation where they are earthed. The sites selected through the first call for tenders have already been the subject of a broad consultation with local stakeholders, government services and infrastructure operators to determine the best possible path for the lines from a technical and environmental standpoint. Late in 2015, public inquiries were launched for the projects in the towns that will be affected by the future Fécamp, Courseulles-sur-Mer, Saint Nazaire and Saint-Brieuc wind farms. Consultations are under way regarding the sites for the second call for tenders.
Brittany safety net
Brittany safety net
Brittany produces about 12% of the power it consumes. Its network of 400 kV and 225 kV lines is heavily used and must bring power in over long distances, from plants outside the region. This situation could result in power outages when demand peaks in winter. Addressing this risk requires making the grid more secure. The solution proposed by RTE involves creating about 80 km of 225 kV lines, all underground, between the substations in Calan (near Lorient) and Plaine-Haute (near Saint-Brieuc), bringing power on the way to the Mûr-de-Bretagne substation. The new link will contribute greatly to grid security in the north and centre of Brittany, and to carrying the electricity produced by existing and future renewable generation sites in the region. Since 2011, RTE has been using compensation equipment in the region to maintain voltage stability on the network. The Declaration of Public Utility was issued in April 2015 for this major project, which will require 26 months of work and be divided into several phases:
– Civil engineering, power cable laying and assembly– Upgrades to existing substations in Calan, Mûr-de-Bretagne and Plaine-Haute.
The goal is to have the Brittany safety net in place by the end of 2017.
For more details, please see MAG RTE&Vous.
2Loires project
2Loires projectBuilt in 1941, the 225 kV link between Le Puy-en-Velay, Yssingelais and Saint-Etienne moves through a number of urban and industrial hubs in the Loire and Haute-Loire departments. The line has reached its technical limits after 70 years of service and due to changes taking place in the region. The “2 Loires” project involves replacing the existing line with a new 225 kV double circuit line with more capacity and designing a new path that better reflects the region’s evolving needs. The idea is to supply power to the 225 kV substations at Sanssac and Trevas (Haute-Loire). A Declaration of Public Utility was issued for this project in July 2014, and work kicked off early in 2015 with the replacement of the conductors on the 225 kV Pratclaux-Sanssac line in November. The project is expected to be completed in 2017.
More details can be found in MAG RTE&Vous.
Electricity quality
Equivalent outage time Equivalent outage time (temps de coupure équivalent - TCE) is one of the indicators used to measure the quality of the electricity RTE supplies. In 2016, the equivalent outage time was 2 min 54 sec, excluding exceptional events. This result, while above the 2 min 24 sec limit set forth in the incentive regulation, confirms that the efforts RTE has made to improve quality of supply to its customers are yielding results.
Equivalent outage time
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Min
utes
Excluding exceptional events Due to exceptional events
The exceptional events identified during the year (21 seconds of equivalent outage time) related to the decision by public authorities to take RTE infrastructure offline un August due to wildfires near Fos-sur-Mer and Vitrolles, in Bouches-du-Rhône, and to a malicious act against the 63 kV substation in Salaise, in the Isère, resulting in cuts in supply to several customers.
Outage frequency
Since August of 2013, outage frequency has been factored into the incentive regulation created by CRE to encourage continuity of supply. In 2016, outage frequency excluding exceptional events was 0.38 outage/site, within the 0.6 limit set out in the incentive regulation, and also below the average of the past ten years.
Outage frequency
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
0,0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
0,7
No
. of
out
ages
/sit
e
Short outages (excluding exceptional events) Short outages (due to exceptional events) Long outages (excluding exceptional events)
Long outages (due to exceptional events)
Lightning density
Lightning density and short outage frequency
Among the factors shaping quality of supply, lightning density is a predominant cause of the short outages observed during the year. Usually, the regions that are hit by lightning the most show the highest frequency of short outages. Conversely, short outages are less frequent in regions where lightning is rare. In 2016, lightning density was 0.6 strike per km² across France.
More informed about electricity quality can be found in MAG RTE&Vous.
Short outage frequency by region
<0.19 from 0.19 to 0.41 >=0.41
Loss rate
Loss rates were stable in 2016
Line losses occur when electricity is moved from generation sites to consumption sites, and loss volumes depend on the power carried, the distance over which it is carried, weather conditions and the characteristics of the grid. Though most of these factors are external, RTE works to minimise losses by making decisions about the development and operation of the grid that optimise the distance over which electricity travels, taking advantage of the leeway it currently has. Nearly 80% of losses are due to the Joule effect and Corona effect on high and very high voltage lines. Other factors contribute as well, notably when current passes into transformer substations. The environmental impact of losses reflects the power that must be generated to offset them.
In 2016, losses were stable at 11.09 TWh, which corresponded to 2.19% of total injections (generation and imports).
Glossary
ADEeFAssociation of Electricity Distributors in France
Adjusted consumptionPower that would have been consumed if temperatures had been the same as reference temperatures, and if there was no 29th day in February for leap years
ARENH
Accès Régulé à l'Electricité Nucléaire Historique, or Regulated Access to Incumbent Nuclear Electricity: Refers to suppliers’ right to
buy electricity from EDF at a regulated price, in quantities determined by French energy regulator CRE
Balance responsible entity
An electricity market player that has a contract with RTE under which it must settle the cost of any differences between energy
injected and withdrawn, as recorded after the fact, across the entire portfolio for which it is responsible
Balancing mechanism
Mechanism designed to ensure that, at any given time, RTE has sufficient power reserves it can activate if supply and demand do not
balance
Business customers
Customers getting power from the public distribution grid with contracted power of 250 kVA or more
Capacity factor
Ratio between the electrical energy effectively generated over a given period and the energy that would have been produced at
nameplate capacity over the same period
CCGT
Combined-cycle gas turbine.
Coverage rateRatio between power generated and gross domestic consumption at a given time
CWE
Central West Europe, region including France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands within which electricity market
prices have been coupled since 2010.
EDF-SEI
EDF-SEI is an integrated operator that generates, purchases, transmits, distributes and supplies electricity in non-interconnected
island territories
Enedis
A distribution system operator in France
ENTSO-E
European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, which has 34 member countries and 41 transmission system
operator (TSO) members. Its purpose is to promote important aspects of electricity policy such as security, renewable energy
development and the power market. ENTSO-E works closely with the European Commission and is the backbone of the European
electricity market
Equivalent outage time
Energy not supplied as a result of customer power cuts, expressed as a ratio to total annual power supplied by RTE to its customers
Exceptional events
High impact, low probability atmospheric phenomena as well as cases of force majeure
Generation: Bioenergy
“Bioenergy” includes biogas, paper/paperboard waste, municipal waste, wood-energy and other solid biofuels
Generation: Fossil-fired thermal
“Fossil-fired thermal” includes fuels like coal, oil and gas
Generation: Hydropower
“Hydropower” includes all types of hydropower facilities (pondage facilities, run-of-river, etc.). Consumption resulting from pumping
at “STEP” (pumped storage stations) is not deducted from total output
Generation: Nuclear
“Nuclear” includes all nuclear power plants. Consumption by auxiliary generator sets is deducted from generation
Gross consumption
Power consumed across France, including Corsica and factoring in losses
Heavy industry
Final customers getting electricity directly from the transmission system operator
Intraday
Refers to electricity trades conducted on very short notice, almost in real time
ITERInternational Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
LDCsLocal Distribution Companies. These are, along with Enedis, the operators of the distribution system, intermediaries between the transmission grid and final customers. There are approximately 150 LDCs across France
Lightning density Number of times lighting strikes per year and per square kilometre in a given region
Load shedding Mechanism by which consumers cancel or postpone all or part of their power consumption in response to a signal
Market coupling Process by which electricity supply and demand are matched across different markets, within the limits of the interconnection capacity between these markets. An algorithm simultaneously determines prices and implicitly allocates available cross-border capacities, resulting in identical price zones when interconnection capacities do not limit cross-border trades
Multiannual Energy ProgrammesMultiannual Energy Programmes (Programmation Pluriannuelle de l'Energie – PPE) are a new tool used to set priorities to guide the actions of public authorities as they relate to the energy transition, in accordance with the commitments outlined in the energy transition law for green growth
MWpMegawatt peak corresponds to 1 million Watt-peak units. A Watt-peak is a measuring unit for the output of photovoltaic panels, corresponding to the production of 1 Watt of electricity under normal conditions for 1,000 Watts of solar radiation per square metre at an ambient temperature of 25°C
NTCNet Transfer Capacity, the transfer capacity made available to the market for imports and exports, calculated and published jointly by the system operators. Transfer capacity depends on the characteristics and availability of interconnection lines and internal constraints on individual countries’ power grids
Outage frequencyRatio between the number of short or long outages and the number of distributors and industrial customer sites supplied by RTE. An outage is considered short if it lasts between 1 sec and 3 min and long if it lasts more than 3 min
Power line circuit length Actual length of one of the conductors that form a power line or the average length of the conductors if they differ substantially
Professional customersCustomers getting power from the public distribution network for professional use with contracted power of 36 kVA or less
PTSPublic Transmission System, over which electrical energy is carried and transformed, linking generation sites to consumption sites. It includes the primary transmission and interconnection grid (400 kV and 225 kV) as well as the regional distribution networks (225 kV, 90 kV and 63 kV). This very high voltage and high voltage grid provides electricity to heavy industry and the main distribution system operators
Reference temperaturesAverages of past temperature series considered to be representative of the current decade. Based on Météo France data, the temperatures are calculated by RTE for France as a whole thanks to 32 weather stations throughout the country
Residential customersCustomers getting power from the public distribution network for residential use with contracted power of 36 kVA or less
Retail customersThis is another name for the residential sector, which includes customers that get power from the public distribution network for residential use with contracted power of 36 kVA or less
Seasonally-adjusted datasetsChronological series from which the seasonal component has been removed. Changes in statistical series can usually be characterised as reflections of trends, seasonal components, or irregular components. Adjusting for seasonal variations is a technique used by statisticians to eliminate the effects of seasonal fluctuations on data, thereby revealing fundamental trends
SER“Syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables”, France’s renewable energy association
SMEs/SMIFinal customers to which distribution system operators provide medium- and low-voltage power, with contracted power of 36 kVA or more
Spot priceAverage electricity price negotiated for delivery the following day in 24 one-hour timeslots
Water reserveThe water reserve in France is the weekly average aggregate filling rate of all water reservoir and hydro storage plants. The upper energy is energy that can be generated from the (only) production unit directly connected to the reservoir, depending on its filling rate. The data published constitutes only the reserves related to upper energy and is expressed in MWh
International communications consulting : BCL CommunicationsRTE Réseau de Transport d’Électricité, a limited liability company with Executive and Supervisory Boards, share capital of €2,132,285,690
Nanterre Register of Commercial Companies 444 619 258
Economics, Forecasting and Transparency Division 1, terrasse Bellini TSA 41000
92919 La Défense Cedexwww.rte-france.com
