09 Nov 2023 | 14:42 UTC
French nuclear output picks up slowly after storm outages
Highlights
Flamanville 2 outage extended to Nov. 19
Cruas 1, Bugey 2 return from maintenance
Nov. 1-8 some 8 GW below Nov average forecast
French nuclear output is slowly recovering after a sharp dip early November as storm Ciaran coincided with the Nov. 1 holiday resulting in some reactors being taken offline, system data showed Nov. 9.
EDF's 1.3-GW Flamanville-2 reactor, taken offline as a preventative measure, is to remain offline until Nov. 19 after storm damage to power export cables, with the outage "likely to be extended," the operator said.
Two 1.3-GW units up the coast at Paluel also remain offline to Nov. 11 and Nov. 13 respectively, while two other units have returned to service.
EDF also restarted two 900-MW reactors at Cruas and Bugey after annual refueling outages, while Bugey 3 is to come offline Nov. 11 for a 10-year overhaul.
Nuclear output peaked Nov. 9 at 36.7 GW after averaging below 35 GW in the days since Oct. 28, according to grid operator RTE.
Output peaked just above 40 GW on Oct. 27 before ramp-downs started.
Analysts at S&P Global Commodity Insights forecast November to average around 43 GW.
Further out, winter availability remained healthy and significantly above last winter's levels, with still some 16 reactors scheduled to return this year of which eight are currently scheduled to restart this week or next.
French December power prices rebounded above Eur100/MWh on Nov. 9 on EEX amid a swing to cooler and less wet and windy weather.
French reactor watchlist
| November returns | ||||
| Blayais 4 | 900 | 27/10/2023 | 10/11/2023 | Unplanned outage |
| Paluel 3 | 1300 | 06/11/2023 | 11/11/2023 | Unplanned (instrument failure) |
| Paluel 2 | 1300 | 03/11/2023 | 13/11/2023 | Unplanned (power line failure) |
| Gravelines 1 | 900 | 11/02/2023 | 13/11/2023 | Refueling, extra maintenance |
| Golfech 1 | 1300 | 26/02/2022 | 13/11/2023 | 10-year-overhaul, SIS repairs |
| St Laurent 2 | 900 | 20/01/2023 | 15/11/2023 | 10-year-overhaul |
| Flamanville 2 | 1300 | 02/11/2023 | 19/11/2023 | Unplanned (Storm Ciaran) |
| Cattenom 3 | 1300 | 07/10/2023 | 19/11/2023 | Refueling |
| December returns | ||||
| St Laurent 1 | 900 | 25/08/2023 | 05/12/2023 | Refueling |
| Cruas 3 | 900 | 16/09/2023 | 05/12/2023 | Refueling |
| Paluel 4 | 1300 | 20/10/2023 | 08/12/2023 | SIS check |
| Cruas 2 | 900 | 23/09/2023 | 17/12/2023 | Refueling |
| Blayais 2 | 900 | 24/06/2023 | 23/12/2023 | 10-year-overhaul |
| Gravelines 2 | 900 | 10/06/2023 | 24/12/2023 | 10-year-overhaul |
| Tricastin 1 | 900 | 16/09/2023 | 26/12/2023 | Refueling |
| Belleville 1 | 1300 | 08/07/2023 | 30/12/2023 | Refueling, SIS check |
| 2024 returns | ||||
| Nogent 1 | 1300 | 23/09/2023 | 15/01/2024 | SIS check |
| Chinon 1 | 900 | 07/02/2023 | 29/01/2023 | 10-year-overhaul |
| Dampierre 3 | 900 | 23/09/2023 | 11/03/2024 | 10-year-overhaul |
| Bugey 3 | 900 | 11/11/2023 | 06/05/2024 | 10-year-overhaul |
Source: EDF (compiled by S&P Global Commodity Insights from REMIT notes to Nov. 9)