France claimed the position of Europe’s primary net power exporter in 2023, as reported by energy data analyst Montel EnAppSys.
The shift was attributed to decreased domestic demand and the return of much of its nuclear fleet.
France’s total net exports amounted to 31.1TWh in the latter half of the year, with the majority of the surplus energy flowing to neighbouring countries like Germany and Italy.
Sweden retained its position as the second-highest net exporter, while Norway ascended to the third-highest exporter slot.
The Netherlands experienced fluctuating export-import dynamics, driven by the growth of solar energy capacity. Italy remained the largest net importer in Europe, relying heavily on external sources for its power needs.
According to the report, a significant portion of Italy’s imports came from France and Switzerland.
Despite France’s remarkable export performance, Bosnia maintained its lead in net exports as a percentage of demand, exporting 33.7% of its power generation.
Jean-Paul Harreman, director of Montel EnAppSys BV, said: “Norway overtook Spain mainly because France did not need so much imported electricity anymore. The return of the nuclear fleet, although far from complete, reduced the need for France to use imports.
“Norway on the other hand, saw a wet summer and autumn, resulting in a surplus of hydro.
“The hydro reservoirs produced power at negative prices for many hours in the Nordics due to surpluses and high values of Guarantees of Origin (GoO), which made it profitable to produce power at slightly negative prices. The lost money was compensated by the value of the GoO.”
