Illustration: NASA, modified by RE.
With 89 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity exported to our European neighbors, France beats its annual export record, more than twenty years old. If electricity sold on the European market brings in money, it hides a structural problem of falling domestic electricity consumption.
In 2024, France set a new historic record by exporting a net balance of 89 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity to its European neighbors, largely exceeding the previous record of 77 TWh reached in 2002. This success illustrates both the recovery of French electricity production and the persistent challenges of domestic consumption currently at half mast.
This performance is based first of all on a strong increase in national production, estimated at around 500 TWh. Thomas Veyrenc, executive director of RTE in charge of strategy and foresight, welcomes this: “This is confirmation of the restoration of the level of electricity production in France. » Nuclear production, which had suffered from stress corrosion crises, recovered spectacularly in 2024. Added to this are exceptional hydraulic production and the rise of renewable energies such as wind and solar.
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A record export to Europe
The main beneficiaries of these exports were Germany (27.2 TWh), Italy (22.3 TWh), the United Kingdom (21 TWh) and Switzerland (16.7 TWh). Spain, although blessed with abundant renewable resources, also received 2.8 TWh. “Our forecasts have long shown that France would find itself, in the mid-2020s, in a position to export around a hundred TWh per year: we are there”underlines Thomas Veyrenc.
These exchanges not only represent significant economic gains for France, but also a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in Europe. “At current market price levels, these exports bring France billions of euros and save Europe tens of millions of tonnes of CO₂”he explains.
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Stagnant domestic consumption
This flattering picture, however, masks a more nuanced reality. Although electricity consumption in France has stabilized in 2024, it remains 6% lower than the average for the years 2014-2019. “Transfers from fossil fuel use to electricity have not been initiated at the level required to deeply decarbonize”regrets Thomas Veyrenc. This delay is partly explained by slowed industrial activity and a halt in sales of electric vehicles.
The export of low-carbon electricity nevertheless remains a strategic asset. It helps to redress a trade balance still weighed down by imports of fossil fuels and strengthens France's competitiveness on European markets. “France has abundant low-carbon electricity. It can be used to decarbonize transport, buildings or industry in France, and/or to reduce the use of coal and gas in electricity production in Europe. concludes Thomas Veyrenc.
