Sweden becomes Europe’s top net electricity exporter, surpassing France

According to energy researchers EnAppSys, Sweden surpassed France in the first half of 2022 to become Europe’s greatest net power exporter as a result of structural issues that caused French nuclear availability to reach record lows.

 

Normally, France exports more energy than it buys, but structural issues with its nuclear fleet, which show no indications of improvement, caused the country’s exports to drop by half from the previous year, while Sweden’s exports increased.

 

Data from the International Energy Agency shows that the majority of Sweden’s energy supply comes from nuclear, hydro, and biofuels, with wind supply increasing throughout the nation as oil-fired output drops.

 

EnAppSys claimed that France’s transformation from a net exporter earlier in the year to a net importer was more responsible for Sweden’s ascent to the top of the exporting league table.

 

As imports doubled to 18.9 TWh and exports decreased to 16.4 TWh, France went 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 same period.

 

The majority of Sweden’s export flows occurred in the first half of the year, when it sent 7 TWh to Finland and 4 TWh to Denmark, according to the analysts.

 

At 15.4 TWh, Germany was the second-largest net exporter after France, more than doubling the levels seen halfway through 2021, according to the data. Germany’s power generation was in response to France’s import demand.

 

In addition to its nuclear problems, high gas costs exacerbated France’s net importer situation because the economics did not favour gas exporting, which in turn raised European gas prices further, according to EnAppSys.

 

In order to aid Germany through the winter months of peak demand and as it prepares for potential rationing in the case of further decreases in Russian supply, France will likely need to raise its nuclear power output.

 

On Wednesday, France’s installed nuclear capacity was only 50% operational.

 

As the nation battles its fourth heatwave of the summer and an energy crisis, France’s nuclear power regulator on Monday extended interim permits enabling five power facilities to release hot water into rivers.