Brussels, 17/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - In its Summer Outlook Report 2011, the European Network of Transmission Systems Operators for electricity (ENTSO-E) plans to strike a balance between the generation and supply of electricity in the EU during the summer period, although member states - Finland, Hungary, Latvia and Poland - will have to rely on imports to meet their needs. In the event of sustained heat waves or high temperatures, reliability margins are reduced and challenging situations may occur in some countries and regions.
Published on 16 June, the ENTSO-E report takes into account a first analysis of the impact of the shutdown of eight nuclear power plants in Germany on the electricity transmission network and on the short-term power system adequacy in Europe. Germany's decision (that the report takes as final) to disconnect eight nuclear power units (corresponding to 8300 MW)) was taken in the wake of events in Japan. The whole of Germany could be affected and German TSOs will face challenges in secure system operations and voltage management but, as the report points out, lost capacity may be offset by energy imports.
ENTSO-E also underlines the risks that such weather conditions present for the cooling systems of nuclear power plants in times of very high temperature and drought, especially in France, where the activity of plants cooled by water from rivers could be reduced or even come to a halt in such situations. Imports of nearly 6,000 MW might be necessary to cover the minimum required margin in France; and Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland could be called on to provide assistance. (E.H./transl.jl)