In 2020, electricity consumption fell in the Grand Est. With 38.7 TWh (Terawatt hour), this is 6.1% less than in 2019. For Elisabeth Bertin, Grand Est delegate of RTE (Electricity transmission network), can be explained by two essential factors: “The health crisis which led to a fall in the activity of industry and many sectors of the economy, and to a lesser extent by milder weather conditions than the previous year. You should know that with just one degree less on the thermometer in winter in the region, consumption jumps by 150 MWh, or the equivalent of one and a half times the demand of a city like Nancy. The impact of the health crisis is -9.6% in large industry. Sectors are particularly affected such as automobile construction (-24%), steel industry (-12.7%) and rail transport (-23.5%). For SMEs, the drop is only 7%. Conversely, the share of professionals and individuals who represent 39.3% of consumption remains “stable”.
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Drop in production
In terms of production, it also saw a drop of 15.3% (88.4 TWh) against -7% in France. However, the Grand Est region remains a major exporter of electrical energy (45,100 GWh), in particular to Ile-de-France (16,000 GWh) and Germany (13,000 GWh). But electricity is also imported from this country, to the tune of 2,760 GWh. The decrease in nuclear production is 15.3% (-7% in France) in the region. “Overall, it is falling everywhere in France, but it is also due to the shutdown of the Fessenheim plant,” explains Elisabeth Bertin. In the distribution of production sources, renewable energies (ENR) represent 41.5% of consumption region, a rate well above the national average of 27.2%. Bioenergy capacity now represents 240 MW (+ 8.9%), solar 597 MW (+ 9.9%) and wind power 3,887 MW (+ 7.7%).
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Infrastructure investments
RTE has also invested in its network in 2020, to the tune of 50 million euros , including 31 for renovation. Major works such as the new 63,000 V underground line between Bains-les-Bains and Pouxeux (88) are finished. And for 2021, the burying of a line between the spa resort of Amnéville (57) and a residential area, with the dismantling of the old overhead line, should begin this summer.
Due to the health crisis and without any particular meteorological impact, Elisabeth Bertin anticipates “roughly equivalent consumption” for next year, in a context of a decrease since 2010.
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