From Bloomberg via Energy Connects, May 13:
Extended outages and repairs at Electricite de France SA’s nuclear power plants are stoking fears that France won’t have enough electricity this winter and may need imports from its neighbors and it’s sending prices are soaring.
Output from France’s huge fleet of 56 nuclear reactors is forecast to be 25% lower than usual this winter, according to analysis by Baringa Partners LLP. France is usually Europe’s biggest exporter of power, sending vast amounts of electricity through interconnectors to the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. This winter flows are set to be reversed as the deficit of cheap power in France pushes up prices far above its neighboring markets.
“It could become a fascinating winter across Europe,” said Phil Grant, Partner at energy consultant Baringa Partners. “Those plants are not coming back in time.”
French peakload prices, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., for first quarter next year jumped above 1,000 euros ($1,037) per megawatt-hour on the European Energy Exchange AG, almost three times as high as in Germany. The French baseload contract for same period is about double the price in Germany or Italy....
....MUCH MORE
