On Wednesday December 18, 2024, a conference entitled “Energy transition: questions and perspectives” was held at the University of Le Mans, on the occasion of World Climate Day. Established every December 8 since 2009, this day aims to raise awareness of the emergencies of global warming.
It was the chemist Marc Fontecave who gave this conference. The scientist contradicts many preconceived ideas about energy production in France and offers an overview of the country’s current energy situation. The first illusion that he denies is the prospect of achieving the Zero Carbon objective in 2025. He instead proposes to tend towards “defossilization” : the goal is to reduce, not carbon, but fossil fuels, on which most countries depend 80% (60% for France).
“We are in a phase where we are failing in what we call the electrification of uses” (Marc Fontecave)
THE challenges of the energy transition in Francea country already highly electrified, are:
1) reduce our energy consumption (wind, hydraulic, solar for renewable, nuclear for non-renewable).
2) further increase the electrical share of our energy consumption.
3) reduce the share of fossil energy by replacing it with non-electric energies (such as biomass, which is however not an ideal energy source) and non-fossil carbon.
Yet, France has been consuming less and less electricity for five years. Reality is far from programming and even takes a completely opposite direction.
In November 2024, the text of the Multiannual Energy Programming Law. Unlike the previous program, it advocates the relaunch of nuclear power to maintain significant nuclear production. This would, however, require effective management of uranium resources to have sustainable nuclear power. This text also recommends the development of biogas and biofuels, and the massive use of renewable energies, which will only be possible once the problem has been resolved. energy storage problem.
Hydrogen would constitute an alternative fuel, but this solution is not currently developed: the yields are too low, the costs are too high.
“We lived with the idea that electricity could be 100% renewable” (Marc Fontecave)
There is therefore no easy solution for this energy transition, which is nevertheless necessary. To set up an electricity system with a high proportion of renewable energies, several conditions are required, which are not met by France to date.
Text and photos: Alex ALIX
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