Aude / Energy crisis: how can potential gas and electricity cuts occur, which consumers are affected or protected?
Seized by the government’s directive of September 16, the prefects had to draw up two lists of energy consumers: consumers too big for natural gas to be affected by load shedding; priority users for electricity are protected from any interruption.
On September 16, 2022, a government instruction sent from Dreal to DDTM to regional prefects, departmental prefects and decentralized services presented the measures to be taken to meet the need.“acceleration of the development of renewable energies”. But that’s really the question “Organization of distribution and loading of natural gas and electricity consumption due to the winter season of 2022-2023” that the first four pages and three appendices of the manual are devoted to. Guidelines for analysis.
Gas, electricity, where are we?
The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) reported on this on October 5 “Filling campaign for winter 2022-2023” was ending “Memory more than 99% full”: 130 TWh accumulated gas reserves “It represents about two-thirds of the winter consumption of SMEs and individuals in France”. Real security, but tempered by awakening “Situations of tension are possible despite the conditions of the passing of winter”and a “important” and “massive” a collective effort to reduce consumption.
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Aude / Energy crisis: “There is a fear of cuts that could be very expensive for industrial companies”
On October 18, RTE (Electric Transmission Network) handed over its own “Update of the forecast on the electricity system for the autumn-winter season of 2022-2023”. Confirm “increasing vigilance” From mid-November, especially due to the need“uncertainties related to weather conditions, effective shutdown dates of shutdown nuclear reactors and availability of gas in Europe”. With “worst case scenario” This will cause the red Ecowatt alarm to activate during very cold winters, clearly ruling out any risk of blackouts. “More than 20-30 days at most in the next six months” : key, “as a last resort”, “Local incisions, controlled and lasting a maximum of 2 hours”.
What are the differences in gas, electricity, load shedding?
In the instruction issued on September 16, two deadlines were defined. With a noticeable difference for gas and electricity. First, the prefects had to complete three lists of natural gas consumers of more than 5 GWh on October 15: high-powered gas-fired power plants; requires protection in all its consumption in order not to harm consumers “Sustainability of the nation’s supply of essential goods or services related to health, safety, defense, human food, fuel or other important industrial products” ; those requiring partial protection. Enough to enable network managers “Prefer to load”and limit “Main economic results”, from production tool damage to difficulties in resuming operations. The prefects for electricity were supposed to present another list, this time on September 22, with priority users to be saved by load shedding installed at source substations where high and medium lines meet. network.
Which sites are protected from electrical load shedding?
On September 22, prefect Thierry Bonnier signed the decree establishing the list “Users of priority electricity service during load reduction in public electricity networks”revoking the previous decree of January 21, 2022, two information: regarding the request of the Inter-ministerial Service for Defense and Civil Protection (MHMX) “Additions and subtractions will be made in relation to the previous decree” ; the need for the total consumption of these subscribers not to exceed 38% of the department’s winter consumption. However, unlike in January, no list has been released regarding the collection of administrative acts.
In January 2022, the decree abandoned three categories: priority users, numbering 35; from the prefecture and sub-prefectures through the medical-social institutions to the TDF relay station at Pic de Nore, if the network situation allows, an additional list to relieve 46 users of the load; and finally, a list of 95 users will be released as a priority, especially with nursing homes and drinking water stations. The new decree of September 22 should, in any case, have provided for the need to “protect” three categories: hospitals, clinics and laboratories, or establishments whose cessation of activity would endanger human life; road signaling and lighting devices in common use considered important for safety; and finally, industrial facilities that will suffer in the event of an interruption in their operation. The decree of January 21, 2022 had three categories, specifically hospitals, laboratories, self-dialysis units, Terega de Barbaira recompression station, Cap Leucate lighthouse or Areva sites from Narbonne and Lafarge from Port. la Nouvelle.
What discounts are there for gas?
Nationally, 5,000 facilities list more than 5 GWh of natural gas consumers annually. Lists of departments have not been released due to confidentiality. But Aude would have dozens of sites on potential load shedding in natural gas, which, unlike electricity, can only be done at the individual level of each consumer. Therefore, it is out of the question to touch domestic consumption related to the heating of residential houses or enterprises of general interest. This is the whole question raised by CCI President Louis Madaul: “We are trying to be a transmission line, an intermediary between these institutions and the state, so that it does not punish the company.” By highlighting strategic sectors for certain sites, it should therefore protect against demand response.
