Suddenly parts of Paris are without electricity – the breakdown is a foretaste of what could threaten France. Hours later, the authorities simulate a regulated interruption to the supply.
A possible shutdown of the power supply in the crisis winter had been discussed in France for days when 125,000 households in Paris were suddenly without electricity on Friday night. Just a glitch, reassured the authorities, who then, as announced, simulated the controlled shutdown of the supply in a region on Friday.
Because a number of nuclear power plants are being maintained, bottlenecks are expected in January. The government is therefore preparing local power cuts at peak loads. This is to prevent an uncontrolled blackout.
Were there any power supply problems during the test?
No, only sequences for a shutdown were simulated without actually carrying out a shutdown. The major power outage in Paris was related to a defective transformer.
Why is France worried about its electricity supply?
The reason for the risk of supply bottlenecks is the delayed maintenance of a number of nuclear power plants. On Friday, 16 of the 56 French reactors were not connected to the grid. With a harsh winter in January, it is feared that power generation may not be able to meet demand at certain moments.
In an emergency, does the light suddenly go out?
On the contrary, the affected region will be informed in detail the day before. The central warning app called “EcoWatt” should serve this purpose, which provides information about the load on the power grid. Three days in advance you can see whether the network will be heavily loaded. Then the population is asked to make a special effort – the washing machine or the oven should not be switched on at peak loads.
For how long and where could the electricity be switched off?
The need for a break may arise between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., but not on weekends. The interruption should last a maximum of two hours and be limited locally.
What about clinics and essential facilities?
There are exceptions for hospitals and other sensitive facilities such as industrial companies, they stay connected. Because important institutions are piling up in Paris, only 20 percent of customers in the capital would be affected by an interruption, it said.
What about trains, traffic lights, schools?
The authorities are still working out the details of many aspects of the processes. It is clear that trains should not be left standing on the open route, as traffic is interrupted before the power supply is switched off. Schools may remain closed in the morning. When the electricity is switched off, telephone transmission masts will also fail, and in rural areas it is feared that the emergency number cannot be reached. There are other precautions to be taken.
How does the population react?
In November, the population reduced their electricity consumption by ten percent. Some utilities also reward their customers financially when they reduce their consumption.
What is France’s future course in energy supply?
The country relies on a massive expansion of nuclear power. “France must remain the world champion in nuclear power, we should be proud of our nuclear power,” said Economics Minister Bruno Le Maire on Friday when visiting a nuclear power plant. “We must return to massive nuclear power generation.” The decision for nuclear power is also a decision for climate protection.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
