Six, even 14 EPR-type reactors, small modular reactors… but also wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. Before detailing his nuclear revival program, Thursday, February 10 in Belfort, the French president first affirmed the need to massively develop renewable energies, one of the “two pillars” essential to get out of fossil fuels, while guaranteeing the electricity supply. Recognizing that France was behind on its objectives, he notably announced that he wanted to remove certain “regulatory barriers” which hinder the progress of the projects.
“We are very pleased that the President has affirmed the urgent need to develop renewables, greets Alexandre Roesch, the general delegate of the Renewable Energies Syndicate. In the current context, it was important to do so. “It takes seven years on average to build a wind farm, compared to three years in Europe, also recalls Michel Gioria, the general delegate of France wind energy. The president is committed to simplifying and shortening deadlines, that’s a very good thing! »
Emmanuel Macron has also posted objectives for 2050, more or less ambitious depending on the sector. Regarding solar, the Head of State intends to exceed 100 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity in 2050, against only 12.4 GW today. “We have been waiting for this speech for a long time, rejoiced Daniel Bour, president of Enerplan. This is the first time that a president has affirmed so firmly the massive place that solar must occupy in the French electricity mix. » To achieve this, the pace of development will have to accelerate significantly to reach 5 to 6 GW of installed capacity per year. In 2021, the sector connected, for the first time, more than 2 GW. “We now need additional human resources in the prefectures and clear directives so that priority is given to the issuance of permits”adds Mr. Bour.
“You have to be reasonable in the objectives”
Regarding offshore wind power, the Head of State is aiming for 40 GW installed in 2040, when the industry was hoping for 50. For this, France plans to build around fifty wind farms and to implement planning work at long term. An exercise that has been requested for a long time, but which has so far been slow to see the light of day. While the first offshore field is due to come into service in 2022 off Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), sector players fear that the country will continue to lag behind its European neighbors. “Now that the President has affirmed the return to force of planning, it is necessary to determine from 2022-2023 the precise location of future parks and to carry out consultations on the scale of the three maritime facades”hopes Michel Gioria.
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