The head of the French national grid has played down the risk of a breakdown in electricity flows and sweeping cuts to energy exports across Europe this winter, as the continent works to stave off power cuts.
Xavier Piechaczyk said high gas storage levels, built up to bolster non-Russian reserves, had boosted power production capacity across the region, which should keep electricity supplies flowing as the system comes under strain after a warm autumn.
However, the RTE chief acknowledged that falling temperatures and delays in repairing outages at France’s fleet of nuclear power plants could still combine to trigger shortages and consequent power cuts, including in France.