Overview on the electric power in july 2003

This document aims to give information on the exploitation of the transmission public network and the french electric power industry during july 2003: the internal electric power consumption in France (national consumption is the total of all the electrical energy supplied for consumption in France (including Corsica, but not the French Overseas Departments), thermal and hydro generation + imports - exports - pumping, and which have been consumed in the transmission and distribution networks, by the end-users, as well as by losses) - national consumption in July 2003 has risen by 2.5% compared with July 2002. The July average temperature, which has been 2.3 deg. C higher in 2003 than in July 2002, has resulted in consumption linked to higher use of air-conditioning and agricultural sprinklers. Adjusted for climatic effects, monthly consumption has increased by 1.5% compared with July 2002. The consumption growth rate adjusted over 12 months has fallen by 0.2% since last month, whereas the national consumption growth rate over the last 12 months has fallen by 0.1%; the energy accounting from the transmission point of view (the balance recorded by RTE takes into account only the energy physical flows conveyed on the RTE network) - in July 2003, consumption has remained stable compared with July 2002, with increased deliveries to distribution networks (+0.7 TWh) compensating for the drop in deliveries to industrial consumers (-0.1 TWh) and exports (-0.5 TWh). Injections have risen slightly (+0.2 TWh) due to the combined effects of a substantial increase in thermal generation (+0.9 TWh) and imports (+0.1 TWh), which offset the considerable fall in hydro generation (-0.8 TWh); the consumption and the physical exchanges (these values reflect all of the flows on the RTE network, as well as the generation auto-consumed by the industrial consumers connected to this network); the electric power market: the market players, contractual exchanges recorded by RTE contracts for access to international connections, contractual exchanges by border; and the evolution of the transmission network - the following facilities were commissioned on the RTE network in July 2003: A 600 MVA auto-transformer at the 400 kV Tricastin substation; the Tricastin substation has also been connected to the 225 kV Bollene-Chateauneuf du Rhone 1 line, as part of work to restructure the 225 kV network between Tavel and Tricastin; Transformer 632 at the 225 kV Bruges substation, for strengthening supply to the Bordeaux area; Transformer 612 at the Muette substation, for relieving pressure on the 225 kV lines circling Paris; the 63 kV substation at Arsot, connected to the substation at Argiesans by a 9.6 km underground cable; the 63 kV Cissac-Margaux line, following the connection of the Margaux substation to the 63 kV Bruges-Cissac 1 line. (A.L.B.)