Electricity: RTE anticipates supply difficulties this winter if the nuclear strike continues – Le Monde

Workers on strike, gathered in front of the Gravelines nuclear power plant (North), October 14, 2022. JEREMY PAOLONI FOR “THE WORLD” A “prolongation of the social movement” in nuclear power plants “would have serious consequences” on the supply of electricity in the “heart of winter”, estimated Tuesday, October 18 the manager of the electricity transmission network in France RTE in a press release. In the shorter term, RTE considers “very low” to “moderate” the risk for the security of electricity supply in the coming weeks, according to the press release from the manager who presented his forecasts for the period from mid-October to mid- november. Read also: Nuclear: EDF postpones the restart of five reactors, against a backdrop of energy crisis and social movement Among the reasons given for this low risk, RTE considers that the occurrence of early or severe cold spells is “very unlikely” by the end of October, but also that “the filling of gas stocks in France and Europe” has now reached “very high levels”. On September 14, by unveiling its winter scenarios, RTE had placed the security of electricity supply under increased vigilance and this, from the autumn, an exceptional event. In a context of global energy crisis, with the approach of winter, France is indeed weakened by nuclear electricity production at its lowest level due to maintenance work and corrosion problems. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Strikes: in the nuclear sector and at the SNCF, the risk of contagion Nuclear electricity production at its lowest In addition to the strike for wages which has been affecting the nuclear fleet for several weeks. This can “have an impact on the schedule for the return to production of certain reactors”, according to EDF. The electrician has already postponed the restart of five reactors. If “the availability of the nuclear fleet is, as of October 17, exactly in line with RTE’s forecast of the beginning of September (…), it should deviate from it downwards from the end of October and until mid-November at least”, estimates RTE today. The repair work on the sections of piping and the control for the stress corrosion defect are progressing correctly according to a “favorable” evolution. But, the social movements led “to shutdown extensions, generally of two to three weeks on the reactors” to deal with these problems or “delays in the maintenance of the reactors”. Consequence for RTE: “This will lead to lower availability than RTE’s central scenario during the first part of November at a minimum. » The World with AFP