As of November 13, 2024, France has broken its annual electricity export record established at 77 TWh in 2002, confirmed the main manager of electricity transmission in France, RTE, during the presentation of its prospects for winter 2024-2025.
« We confirm the electricity export record forecast », declared Thomas Veyrenc, member of the RTE Management Board during the presentation of France's winter electricity balance prospects.
Mid-2024, this already mentioned the possibility of breaking such a record, which stood at 77 terawatt hours (TWh) exported in 2002. As of November 13, the record is already broken, since the volume exported reached 78 TWh, advances RTE.
It could be at 85 TWh at the end of the year, when EDF is even counting on 90 TWh.
« The precise volume will depend on winter weather conditions », explained Thomas Veyrenc. The net exporter position will also depend on these uncertainties, not in absolute volume, on a day-to-day basis. Unlikely, RTE notes, France could be, on certain days, an importer.
The final result will be given in February, in RTE's annual report.
France, a historic exporter
Historically, France is the EU's leading net exporter of electricity, most often supplanting Sweden.
Over the last 44 years, France has only been a net importer of electricity once, in 2022, when the European energy crisis was accompanied in France by the very low availability of nuclear power and low stocks. of hydraulic production.
The situation is therefore returning to a form of normality, following an already exporting year 2023.
This record thus shows that “ low carbon production [française tout du moins] is very competitive on European markets », wants to believe Thomas Veyrenc.
Furthermore, ” these exports are not only made when electricity prices are low », continues the expert.
Although the profits from these exports are counted in billions of euros, they are nevertheless “ very far from compensating the costs of importing gas and oil », concludes Thomas Veyrenc.
Certainly, thanks to the reduction in hydrocarbon imports and the increase in electricity exports in particular, the balance of energy materials is positive by 4 billion between the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2024. But over the whole year , it nevertheless remains negative by 13 billion euros, customs figures show.
