The electricity sector in France is the main article of electricity in France. Energy in France focus energy and electricity production, consumption and import in France. Energy policy of France will describe the politics of France related to energy more in detail.
In the year 2009 electricity was produced with nuclear power 76%, renewable sources 14% and fossil fuels 10%. France has the largest share of nuclear electricity in the world in its grid. The French nuclear power sector is almost entirely owned by the French government and the degree of the government subsidy is difficult to ascertain because of a lack of transparencies in the finances of the operation.
The production of the nuclear power in France decreased 12% in 2009 compared to 2004 equivalent to 8% units share less nuclear power. It was almost equal to the 7 % drop in electricity export.
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In 2008 consumption of electricity was on average 8,233 kWh/person. This corresponded to 110% of the EU15 average (7,409 kWh/person) and 91% of the OECD average (8,991 kWh/person).[1]
| Electricity pro person in France (kWh/ hab.)[1] | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Production | Export | Exp. % | Fossil | Nuclear | Nuc. % | Other RE* | Bio+waste | Wind | Non RE use* | RE %* | |
| 2004 | 8,204 | 9,203 | 999 | 12.2 % | 849 | 7,209 | 87.9 % | 1,061 | 83 | 7,060 | 13.9 % | |
| 2005 | 8,215 | 9,176 | 961 | 11.7 % | 970 | 7,201 | 87.7 % | 924 | 81 | 7,210 | 12.2 % | |
| 2006 | 8,140 | 9,041 | 901 | 11.1 % | 897 | 6,977 | 85.7 % | 1,083 | 85 | 6,972 | 14.3 % | |
| 2008 | 8,233 | 8,984 | 751 | 9.1 % | 853 | 6,872 | 83.5 % | 1,168 | 91 | 6,974 | 15.3 % | |
| 2009 | 7,951 | 8,351 | 400 | 5.0 % | 871 | 6,371 | 80.1 % | 897* | 93 | 121* | 6,840 | 14.0 % |
| * Other RE is waterpower, solar and geothermal electricity and wind power until 2008 * Non RE use = use – production of renewable electricity * RE % = (production of RE / use) * 100 % Note: European Union calculates the share of renewable energies in gross electrical consumption. |
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According to the IEA (head office in Paris) the gross production of electricity was 570 TWh in 2008 and 567 TWh in 2004 giving the 8 th top position among the world producers in 2010. Top eight countries produced 62 % of electricity in 2008. The top producers were: 1) United States 21.5 % 2) China 17.1% 3) Japan 5.3 % 4) Russia 5.1 % 5) India 4.1 % 6) Canada 3.2 % and 7) Germany 3.1 % 8) France 2.8 % ) 9) Brazil 2.3 % and 10) South Korea 2.2 %. The rest of the world produced 33 %.[2][3]
The European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) at Flamanville was expected in 7/2011 to open in 2016 instead of the original starting date of 2012 and cost €6bn instead of the original cost of €3.3bn.[4]
The French nuclear power is almost entirely owned by the French government and its electricity is sold to the government. According to Al Gore the degree of the government subsidy is difficult to ascertain because of a lack of transparencies in the finances of the operation.[5]
France has the largest share of electricity from nuclear power in the world. According to the IEA 77 % of its domestic electricity was generated by nuclear power in 2008. The second was Ukraine 46.7 %, third Sweden 42.6 % and followed by South Korea 34.0 %, Japan 24.0 %, Germany 23.5 %, United States 19.3 %, Russia 15.7 %, Canada 14.4 % and China 2.0. %[2]
According to Greenpeace French electricity planning was based in 1970’s on a doubling of consumption every ten years and one unit nuclear plant export for each domestic unit. In reality, France exported nine units to four countries (Belgium, South Africa, China and South Korea), prior to the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) order by Finland in 2005, compared to 58 reactors built in France. The EPR is a new reactor developed by France and Siemens Germany.
In terms of installed capacity and produced power in 2008 France was the top second nuclear electricity country in the world behind the United States. Installed nuclear capacity was 63 GW and power production 439 TWh i.e. 16.1 % of the world total. In 2004 power production was equal.[2][3]
Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique is the national authority in France. Nuclear companies include EdF and Areva. Électricité de France EdF is the main electricity producer. Eurodif is the uranium enrichment plant. Areva NC (France) and Rio Tinto (UK) are the top uranium companies of the world.
France reprocesses its nuclear waste to retrieve plutonium and uranium for use as additional fuel. Fission products are stored in La Hague facility until a deep geological repository for high-level waste can be constructed. A repository for low-level and short-lived intermediate-level nuclear waste is already operational.[6]
Installed wind power in France was 5,660 MW at the end of 2010 and 4,574 MW at the end of 2009. The share of wind power in the end of 2010 was in average 2.3% of electricity need.[7]
Installed hydro electricity power capacity was 25 GW in 2007.[2]
France was the leader in the export of electricity in 2008: 48 TWh followed by Paraguay 46 TWh and Canada 32 TWh.[2]
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