A reactor in EDF's nuclear fleet, Tricastin 4, was shut down on Thursday, due to "
mild temperatures
" and lower electricity consumption, we learned from EDF on Thursday.
"
The mild temperatures, above seasonal normals, and the lower consumption during this period mean that the network does not need all the available reactors
", indicated EDF, in a situation report, in which it makes status of 42 reactors in operation and 14 reactors shut down.
In addition to this mild temperature, "
there was less consumption, especially during the holidays, and therefore we shut down several reactors because the electricity network did not need it
", we said. at EDF.
"
Just before Christmas
", several reactors were thus shut down "
for short periods
", with "
a peak of 10 reactors last weekend, shut down for modulation
", which almost all resumed on January 2, except Tricastin 4, whose return to service is scheduled for January 9 to date.
However, it remains “
immediately available
”, if necessary, we specify at EDF.
Read alsoElectricity: why the restart of nuclear power plants has been delayed
Electricity consumption fell by 8.5% last week compared to the average for previous years (2014-2019) over the same period, according to figures as of January 1 and a final point from RTE, published on Tuesday.
Over the last four weeks, corresponding to the whole month of December, the average drop has also reached 8.5%.
These figures are released after restatement of calendar and meteorological effects: it is therefore the consumption that would have occurred if the temperatures had been aligned with the normal temperatures defined by Météo France for the period.
The government has called for sobriety, against a backdrop of supply difficulties linked in particular to the gas crisis in Europe and the reduced availability of the French nuclear fleet.
The situation is less gloomy on this side as well: during his greetings to economic players, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire thanked EDF on Thursday and applauded the company and its CEO for the return of 44 GW reconnected "
as I speak to you
”.
"
We will therefore meet our target of 45 GW returning to the network in January 2023
", out of a total installed capacity of 61.4 GW, added the minister.
If the threat of power cuts this winter “
seems
to be on the decline” , government spokesman Olivier Véran nevertheless called on “
businesses and citizens
” on Wednesday to “
maintain efforts on eco-gestures
”.
