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On Tuesday, a nationwide day of industrial action brought record numbers of people onto the streets against the policy change. But Olivier Gantois, the head of the French Association of Petroleum Industry (UFIP), said there was little impact on consumers for now. The logo of French oil and gas company TotalEnergies is seen at TotalEnergies fuel depot in Mardyck, near Dunkerque, as France faces the sixth nationwide day of strike and protests against French government's pension reform plan, France, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal RossignolThe four French LNG terminals and all of the gas storage facilities also remained blocked, FNME-CGT representative Fabrice Coudour said. The next nationwide day of strikes and protests is set for Saturday.

MADRID/PARIS/STOCKHOLM, March 2 (Reuters) - France and Spain are poised to announce a breakthrough this week in a long-running impasse over hefty costs of what would be their first undersea electricity link, a minister and sources in both countries told Reuters. That was due to unforeseen seabed instability on the French side that required costly re-routing, and rising costs of raw materials. Spain is a growing producer of renewable energy that it exports to France and it wants its neighbour to pay most of the extra costs. That had led to disagreement amid wider tensions between them about pipeline connections and protectionism. Spanish sources said the go-ahead would likely mean that France, whose nuclear power industry has been beset by problems, finally agreed to pay more.

☆ New French fund with 87.5 mln euros targets African solar development
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A new investment fund with 87.5 million euros ($92.63 million) will finance solar power production across Africa, with a focus on West and Central Africa, French fund manager RGREEN INVEST and investment adviser ECHOSYS INVEST said on Friday. The AFRIGREEEN Debt Impact Fund's first closing will finance on- and off-grid solar power plants for small- and medium-sized commercial and industrial consumers across the continent, the statement said. The groups are looking to have a portfolio of twenty to thirty investments, with aim of meeting long-term debt financing needs of between 10 and 15 million euros, with an average of around 5 million euros over eight to ten years, the statement said. RGREEN INVEST and ECHOSYS INVEST said that the first closing included commitments from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The group is aiming to raise a total of 100 million euros from development finance institutions and private investors.

☆ Falling gas costs, rising carbon prices spur change in fuel dynamics
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Falling gas prices over recent weeks have paired with rising coal and carbon costs to make European power generation from gas-fired power plants more economical, marking a trend reversal since coal took over as the cheaper fuel source last year. The clean-dark and clean-spark spreads are the prices paid for the operation of a coal- or gas-fired power plant respectively, when adjusted for mandatory carbon emissions permits and fuel purchases. However, the gas price would need to fall a bit more to replace more efficient coal plants, she added. Germany and other European countries relied heavily on both coal and gas power during the energy crisis last year, with coal's share of the power generation mix rebounding after mostly falling over the previous decade. The Dutch benchmark wholesale gas contract slipped to a new 17-month low on healthy supply earlier, while European carbon allowances (EUA) reached a record high over 100 euros per tonne.

"The good news is that renewables and nuclear power are growing quickly enough to meet almost all this additional appetite, suggesting we are close to a tipping point for power sector emissions," IEA director Faith Birol said. The share of wind and solar in the power generation mix is seen rising to 35% in 2025 from 29% in 2022. The largest gains in renewable power expected in the Asia Pacific region, with an 11.6% yearly average growth rate, followed by Europe with a 9.4% yearly growth rate, and the Americas, with a 5% growth rate average per year. The IEA's forecast for renewable growth globally from 2022 to 2025Asia also dominates demand growth, with more than 70% expected from China, India and south-east Asia, although trends in China are uncertain, the report said. Production from gas-fired power plants in Europe is forecast to fall, but significant growth in gas-fired production in the Middle East is likely to limit the decrease, the report said.

☆ French power supply reduced due to strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PARIS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - French power supply has been reduced by 3.7 gigawatts as production at two nuclear reactors and several thermal plants was lowered due to a strike over planned pension reforms, data from power utility EDF (EDF.PA) showed on Tuesday. The hydraulic power sector of EDF also posted a strike notice for Thursday midday hours. Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/6] French energy workers on strike gather with dockers near tyres set on fire as they protest against French government's pension reform plan, in the port of Saint-Nazaire, France, January 26, 2023. An Elabe poll for BFM showed 72% of the French are against the pension reform. "Oil workers are against this (pension) reform but they don't want to be on the front line," said a CGT union representative for Exxonmobil. A spokesperson for Esso, whose two French refinery sites are run by ExxonMobil (XOM.N), said only truck loading operations were suspended at Fos, with everything else operating normally. A union representative added that production at the Port Jerome site was slightly impacted.

☆ Strike reduces French power supply, halts refinery shipments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

EDF's (EDF.PA) outage table showed a 4.5 GW nuclear supply reduction at eight reactors, 460 megawatts (MW) of reduced hydropower and 2.8 GW of lower thermal production. This is how strikes work in France : strikers are not allowed to put security of supply at risk," analyst Emeric de Vigan said. Meanwhile, deliveries of refined oil products were blocked from leaving refineries operated by TotalEnergies , the company said. There would be no disruption to fuel supplies at service stations if the unions maintained their strike timetable, TotalEnergies has said. The CGT refineries federation has called for a single day of strike this week and further walkouts next week and the week after.

☆ Thursday's strike will not disrupt refineries if shortlived -Total CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"We don't stop the refineries for one day", Pouyanne said, "we put them at a minimum which keeps them functioning", adding "strikers can decide to block shipments which can prevent the trucks from rolling." Operations at refineries could only be disrupted if the strike lasts several days, he said. A union representative earlier said no oil will be shipped from the TotalEnergies' refinery in Dunkirk, northern France, on Thursday. "We have plans in place to maximize our fuels supply to mitigate any potential impacts on our customers," a spokesperson from Esso said. Reporting by Forrest Crellin, editing by Tassilo Hummel and Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ French refinery, metro strikes loom in clash over pension reform
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Blandine Henault | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Protestors and French CGT labour union workers attend a demonstration as part of a nationwide day of strike and protests to push for government measures to address inflation, workers' rights and pension reforms, in Paris, France, September 29, 2022. REUTERS/Gonzalo FuentesPARIS, Jan 12 (Reuters) - France's CGT trade union on Thursday called for strikes in the refinery sector against plans to make people work longer before they can retire and Paris metro unions said they would do "everything they can" to stop the pension reform. The French will have to work two years longer, to age 64, before retiring, if the reform, announced by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday, is adopted by parliament. They will also need to work longer to get a full pension. "There is a right to strike, there is a right to demonstrate, but I think it is also important not to penalise the French," she said.

☆ French winter power supply risk cut to 'medium', says RTE
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The risk to French power supply from the start of January through the rest of winter has been reduced to 'medium' because of higher nuclear and hydropower availability as well as reduced demand from consumers, French grid operator RTE said on Tuesday. Nuclear power utility EDF (EDF.PA) has faced an unprecedented number of reactor outages this year owing to delayed maintenance and stress corrosion, reducing nuclear output to 30-year lows just as Russia's war in Ukraine hit Europe's energy supplies. Nuclear power availability topped 40 GW on Dec. 12, lifting supply to the top of the expected availability range, RTE said. The filling level of French gas stocks has dropped to about 85% after beginning the winter near full, which is higher than previous years, RTE said. There is no concern for the first part of winter thanks to high gas supply across the continent, but vigilance will be needed for the second half of winter and especially winter 2023-24, RTE added.

☆ France copes with high power demand on nuclear supply ramp-up
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Dec 12 (Reuters) - France on Monday avoided a strain on its power grids in the face of rising demand as Paris recorded sub-zero temperature, thanks to a ramp-up in supply in nuclear as well as hydro power and strong imports from neighbouring countries. Demand rose above 80 gigawatts (GW) during peak morning hours for the first time this winter, according to a spokesperson for RTE, the country's transmission system operator. France's nuclear availability was able to supply above 40 GW as its plants returned to levels last seen in early March over the weekend. The French transmission system operator has pretty comfortable margins so far, Emeric de Vigan, vice president of power at data and analytics firm Kpler, said in a tweet. Nuclear operator EDF (EDF.PA) ramped up output at three nuclear reactors on Friday following repairs and said it hopes to start fixing stress corrosion issues at its Penly 2 reactor in mid-January.

☆ Winter freeze tests French power grid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Temperatures dropping close to zero in coming days will pose the first real test of the resilience of France's electricity grid amid warnings over possible power cuts, though President Emmanuel Macron urged the French not to panic. "Consumption is set to peak at 80 GW (versus 73 GW on Dec. 5), while wind power is expected to be below normal. Should the nuclear availability remain at 37-38 GW the supply gap risk would be much more acute than today." Meanwhile, further delays on nuclear reactors were announced at the weekend. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsReporting by Ingrid Melander and Forrest Crellin, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cold weather could cause French power cuts next week
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Cold weather could lead to power cuts in France on Monday as delays to the restart of nuclear power following repair work leave supply lagging demand, analysts said. Nuclear power supply had been expected to reach around 40 gigawatts (GW) this week, but operator EDF's (EDF.PA) delay in restarting reactors meant it rose to only around 35 GW, leaving France more reliant on imports and gas-fired production. "If we remain at 35 GW, next week Monday could become quite tight: we expect the demand at otherwise seasonally normal levels, but 35 GW of nuclear would be too low to meet a possible demand peak at 73 GW," Gerl said. The current EDF schedule shows 3 GW of nuclear power returning to the grid next week, putting total capacity at 38 GW for the first cold spell of the peak demand winter season. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsGrid operator RTE said on Thursday France may face "some days" this winter when there was too little electricity supply.

☆ Twenty French nuclear reactors affected by strike, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Strikes have affected work at nearly a third of France's nuclear reactors, an FNME-CGT power union representative said on Wednesday, delaying maintenance at many of them ahead of planned talks with operator EDF (EDF.PA). Three of the reactors lowered production by a total of 1.8 gigawatts (GW) by 0837 GMT, EDF data showed. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterPower supply has been further hit in recent weeks as the FNME-CGT union has been staging rolling strikes over wages at some nuclear power plants. FNME-CGT representative Virginie Neumayer told Reuters 20 reactors out of a total of 56 had been affected by the strikes. The start of planned maintenance at the Gravelines 4 and Dampierre 3 sites have been pushed back due to the strikes, and now show their outage start date on Oct. 19.

☆ Explainer: Strikes at French nuclear plants - what's at stake?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Forrest Crellin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterRolling strikes over wages by the FNME-CGT union at some plants have added to the problem. France is a net importer of electricity and the strikes will further boost power imports, particularly from Britain, the consultancy said. Power grid operator RTE warned on Tuesday that prolonged strikes further delaying the restart of reactors could have "heavy consequences" for electricity supply over the winter. Britain's National Grid has also cited maintenance issues at French nuclear reactors as a factor that could affect UK energy supplies this winter. read moreRTE still expects France's nuclear power production to rise to between 40 and 45 gigawatt (GW) a day in December and January, up from 25-30 GW at the end of October.

☆ Eleven French nuclear sites affected by strike, union says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Strikes have affected 11 French nuclear power plants, an FNME-CGT power union representative said on Tuesday, delaying maintenance at 17 different reactors. Power production was also reduced by 1.8 gigawatts (GW) at three other nuclear reactors, data from operator EDF (EDF.PA) showed. Members of FNME-CGT have been staging rolling strikes at French nuclear power plants for several weeks over wages, heightening the risk of power supply shortages as the French utility struggles to get enough reactors back online for winter. Maintenance operations are continuing on the reactors that are currently shutdown despite the strikes, an EDF spokesperson said on Monday. The strike is part of a general strike on Tuesday that has affected train traffic, schools and other sectors.

The government said it had requisitioned six workers at a TotalEnergies depot in Dunkirk, northern France, and would do the same at its Feyzin depot in the southeast this afternoon. The government has already requisitioned staff elsewhere, a move vehemently opposed by the CGT, which has called on other workers to join its protest. But even so, petrol supplies will take some time to get back to normal. Transport Minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio that petrol stations might still have problems until next week, adding: "We're still struggling." According to government data, roughly one in three petrol stations has not been supplied normally in the last few days.

☆ France's CGT union extends strikes at TotalEnergies as petrol crisis drags on
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We have seen a masquerade ... the offers on the table are clearly insufficient", CGT representative Alexis Antonioli told journalists after his union left the talks. But this does not mean the strikes may end anytime soon as the standoff with the union persists. The CGT previously said it wanted a 10% wage rise, citing inflation and windfall profits made by the company resulting from the global energy crisis. "The company is in good shape and shareholders have been rewarded for a long time," Philippe Martines, the head of the CGT union, told franceinfo radio. The CGT union, France's second-largest, is seeking to scale up the movement and calls for nationwide industrial action across sectors which could hamper parts of the country's infrastructure this autumn.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meet on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia (CICA), in Astana, Kazakhstan October 13, 2022. Putin told his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan that Turkey could act as a gas hub, having already suggested on Wednesday that Russia could reroute supplies intended for the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea, which were damaged last month. Concerns over winter supplies were heightened as workers at EDF's Bugey nuclear plant in eastern France resumed a strike over wages on Thursday, the latest in a series of stoppages to hit the French industry. Norway has become an increasingly important source of gas for the EU and Britain after Russia curtailed supplies. At a meeting in Kazakhstan, President Putin said that increased cooperation on supplies with Turkey , which is not a member of the EU, could also help to regulate prices.

☆ Maintenance on five French nuclear reactors delayed over strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - A representative of France's FNME trade union said on Wednesday that some workers at EDF's (EDF.PA) nuclear plants resumed their strike over salaries, delaying maintenance work on at least five reactors, including the Bugey facility. The strike is not reducing power supply at active reactors, FNME said. FNME representative official Viginie Neumayer told Reuters the union sent a message of support to striking workers at refineries and petrol depots owned by oil giants TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) and Exxon Mobil (XOM.N). Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The threat of requisition which is above all a sign of government feverishness has never demonstrated its effectiveness in getting out of this conflict," Neumayer said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CGT trade union flag flutters as tyres set on fire by demonstrators burn in front of the ExxonMobil oil refinery, in Port-Jerome-sur-Seine, France, October 12, 2022. The government said it was requisitioning some staff at the Gravenchon-Port Jerome depot run by Exxon's (XOM.N) Esso France business, where the hardline CGT union remains on strike despite an agreement between management and other unions over pay. Refinery and fuel depot stoppages in France are among the longest since the cost-of-living crisis sparked labour unrest across Europe. "In view of a strike by part of the Port-Jerome staff, in Normandy, the government launches the requisition of staff necessary to operate the depot. The strike at TotalEnergies' French refineries resumed across all sites on Wednesday, the CGT said.

☆ EDF's French nuclear output down 37.2% in September
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Electricite de France SA FollowPARIS, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Nuclear power generation at EDF's (EDF.PA) French reactors fell 37.2% year-on-year in September to 18.2 terawatt hours (TWh), mainly due to the maintenance of circuits affected by stress corrosion, the utility said on Tuesday. EDF said on its website that total nuclear generation in France since the start of the year had been 209.2 TWh, down 22% compared with January-September 2021. The French utility said its September nuclear power output in Britain was up 19.9% year-on-year at 3.2 TWh, against 2.7 TWh in 2021. Total generation in Britain since the start of the year was at 33.2 TWh, up 11.2% from January-September 2021. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Jan HarveyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWHY ARE REFINERY AND FUEL DEPOT WORKERS STRIKING? Middle distillates such as diesel and gas oil are primarily used in freight transport, manufacturing, farming, mining, and oil and gas extraction. The French refinery outages are tightening European supplies and reverberating through global markets. Meanwhile, northwest European diesel barge profit margins hovered near record highs hit on Monday. read moreUncertainty over how long the French strikes will last has lifted European diesel spreads relative to crude just as Western sanctions against Russia are driving prices still higher.

Management at Exxon Mobil's (XOM.N) Esso France reached a deal with a majority of unions on Monday, but not the CGT. "I have therefore asked the prefects, as permitted by law, to requisition the personnel needed to the functioning of the company's depots," she said, referring to Esso France. SHORTAGES1/5 People gather during a TotalEnergies and Esso ExxonMobil workers' protest outside Esso refinery in Fos-Sur-Mer, France October 11, 2022. Esso France said it had reached a salary deal with unions on Monday. Even so, the CGT said it had not signed off on the deal, and its workers remained on strike.

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