Overview of electrical energy in may 2003

This document aims to give information on the exploitation of the transmission public network and the french electric power industry during may 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) - May 2003 gross consumption is 1.4% lower compared to May 2002. This is due to a 1.3 deg. C rise this year in May average temperature. However, the monthly consumption is 0.9% higher than May 2002 consumption if climatic effects are put aside. The growth rate of the corrected consumption over the last 12 months shows a rise of 0.2% from last month, whereas the growth rate of gross consumption over the last 12 months shows a decrease of 0.2% compared to April 2002; 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) - on May 2003, consumption has fallen compared to May 2002, as did exports (-0.9 TWh). Consequently the global volume of injections shows a loss of 1.2 TWh. Compared to May 2002, thermal generation and hydroelectric generation have respectively lost 1.1 TWh and 0.3 TWh. Imports are roughly 0.2 TWh up; the consumption and the physical exchanges (these values reflect all 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: on May 2003 the 4.3 km-long 225 kV Bouscat-Bruges underground link has come into service on the RTE system, along with the 225 kV/HVA transformer at the Bouscat substation. These installations will strengthen and secure the energy supply to the city of Bordeaux. (A.L.B.)