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Nuclear power (breakdown in MW)
The majority of the nuclear reactors in France are in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est and Normandy regions, which are together home to 76 % of the nuclear plants in service. Because of their cooling requirements, the plants are located near water points: along the coast (e.g. Paluel and Flamanville, on the English Channel) or next to waterways (e.g. Tricastin and Cruas on the Rhône). With the closure of the Fessenheim power plant, nuclear capacity in the Grand Est region decreased to 10.82 GW.
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Fossil-fired thermal (breakdown in MW)
Fossil thermal power plants can be found throughout the French regions. Most capacity is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France et Pays de la Loire regions, which together are home to more than 70 % of total fossil-fired thermal capacity. Because they require water for system cooling, these plants are located near water points (e.g. Cordemais on the Loire River).
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Hydropower (breakdown in MW)
With 25.7 GW of installed capacity, hydropower generation in France is divided unevenly across the country.
Regions with large mountainous areas (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) are home to more than 79% of total French hydropower capacity. Most of the facilities are hydroelectric dams, notably with water reservoirs and poundage. Hydropower generation capacity in other regions is less significant and often comprised by run-of-river plants or those with poundage. -
Wind power (breakdown in MW)
Climate conditions (wind regimes), environmental constraints and political will at the local level explain differences in wind power development rates. The two regions with the most capacity installed are Hauts-de-France (more than 4.8 GW) and Grand Est (3.8 GW). Wind capacity in the Hauts-de-France region increased by more than 7 % between 2019 and 2020
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Solar power (breakdown in MW)
Four regions have more than 1 GW of installed solar capacity: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. These regions account for more than 72% of installed solar capacity in France, due to their geographic location in the southernmost part of the country, where conditions are favourable for solar power development.
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Bioenergy (breakdown by MW)
Bioenergy plants are found throughout France. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Île-de-France and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions are each home to more than 13 % of the country’s total bioenergy capacity.
Bioenergy generation
Bioenergy generation in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Ile-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Grand Est regions covered more than 1.3% of total electricity consumption in France.
Coverage of total demand in France by bioenergy in 2020