Sweden tops France as Europe’s largest net power exporter – EURACTIV.com
Sweden overtook France as Europe’s biggest net power exporter in the first half of 2022, as deep-rooted problems reduced French nuclear power availability to historic lows, energy analyst EnAppSys said on Wednesday (Aug 10).
France typically exports more power than it imports, but structural problems with its nuclear power fleet, which show no sign of improving, saw exports from the country halve from the previous year, while Sweden exported 16 terawatt hours (TWh), the company said.
Most of Sweden’s electricity supply comes from nuclear power, hydropower and biofuels, and wind availability in the country is increasing as oil production decreases, data from the International Energy Agency showed.
“Sweden’s rise to the top of the exporting league table had more to do with France’s shift from a net exporter earlier in the year to a net importer,” EnAppSys said.
France has gone from being a net exporter of 21.5 TWh in the first half of 2021 to a net importer of 2.5 TWh in the first half of 2022 as imports doubled to 18.9 TWh and exports shrank to 16.4 TWh.
Sweden exported 7 TWh to Finland and 4 TWh to Denmark in the first half of the year, accounting for the majority of its export flows, the analysts added.
Germany was the second largest net exporter at 15.4 TWh, double the levels recorded midway through 2021, as power generation in the country responded to import demand from France, the data showed.
Apart from the nuclear problems, high gas prices exaggerated France’s net importer status as the economy was not conducive to exporting gas, which in turn increased European gas prices further, EnAppSys said.
Unless France can increase its nuclear power output, it is unlikely to be able to help Germany during the high-demand winter months as they brace for possible rationing in the event of further cuts in Russian supply.
The supply of nuclear power in France was half of the total installed capacity on Wednesday.
To boost supply, France’s nuclear power regulator on Monday extended temporary exemptions allowing five power plants to release hot water into rivers as the country grapples with its fourth heat wave of the summer and an energy crisis.