Total generation
  • Electricity generation down, decarbonised production up thanks to coal’s decline
  • Installed capacity
    • Impression

    Steep drop in electricity generation to a 20-year low

    As a direct consequence of the decrease in electricity demand in France and Europe, total electricity generation in France fell to 500.1 TWh in 2020, for a year-on-year decrease of 7% (37.4 TWh). This was the lowest level on record in 20 years.

    Renewable energy sources accounted for 23.4 % of total electricity production, which was much higher than in 2019. Wind power output rose by 17.3 %, solar power output by 2.3 %, and hydropower generation by 8.4 %. The latter benefited from abundant water reserves, which were about 22 % higher in 2020 than in 2019.

    Production from nuclear power and fossil-fired thermal plants decreased by 11.6% (44 TWh) and 10.6% (4.5 TWh), respectively, relative to 2019. These sharp declines were consequences of a health crisis that drove consumption lower and reduced the availability of nuclear power plants. See section: Nuclear generation.

    Technology Production in 2020 in TWh Change vs. 2019 Share of output
    Nuclear 335,4 -11,6 % 67,1 %
    Fossil-fired thermal 37,6 -10,6 % 7,5 %
    of which coal 1,4 -12,7 % 0,3 %
    of which oil 1,7 -13,3 % 0,3 %
    of which gas 34,5 -10,4 % 6,9 %
    Hydropower 65,1 +8,4 % 13 %
    of which renewable* 60,8 +9,1 % 12,1 %
    Wind 39,7 +17,3 % 7,9 %
    Solar 12,6 +2,3 % 2,5 %
    Bioenergy 9,6 -0,8 % 2,0 %
    of which biogas 2,9 +8,6 % 0,6 %
    of which biomass 2,5 -5,8 % 0,5 %
    of which paper waste 0,2 -14,2 % 0,0 %
    of which non-renewable municipal waste 2,0 -2,5 % 0,4 %
    of which renewable municipal waste 2,0 -2,5 % 0,4 %
    Net production 500,1 -7 % 100 %

    *Renewable hydropower is calculated using a method drawn from EU Directive 2009/28/EC. Seventy percent of hydropower generation is deducted from production at pumped storage stations, or STEP.















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    Installed capacity: Further gains for renewable energy sources, slight increase in thermal capacity, decrease in nuclear capacity

    Generation capacity in mainland France ended the year at 136.2 GW, unchanged from 2019. Wind capacity increased by 6.9 % and solar capacity by 8.6 %, in keeping with the objectives of the Multiannual Energy Programme. Nuclear capacity shrank by 2.8 % following the closure of the two Fessenheim reactors, the first in February and the second in June. Hydropower capacity was broadly unchanged, edging up by just 0.1 %, or 28.2 MW. EDF’s new 97 MW Romanche-Gavet (Isère department) hydroelectric plant, connected to the transmission grid in 2019, was commissioned during the year.

    Installed capacity Installed capacity at 31/12/2020 in MW Change vs. 31/12/2019 Change in MW Share of installed capacity
    Nuclear 61 370 -2,8 % -1 760 45,1 %
    Fossil-fired thermal 18 934,7 +2,1 % +393,6 13,9 %
    of which coal 2 978 0 % 0 2,2 %
    of which oil 3 389,4 +0,7 % +22,2 2,5 %
    of which gas 12 567,2 +3 % +371,4 9,2 %
    Hydropower 25 731,8 +0,1 % +28,2 18,9 %
    Wind 17 616,1 +6,7 % +1 104,8 12,9 %
    Solar 10 386,9 +8,6 % +820 7,6 %
    Bioenergy 2 171,5 +3,1 % +66 1,6 %
    of which biogas 544,8 +8,7 % +43,8 0,4 %
    of which biomass 680,3 +3,1 % +20,6 0,5 %
    of which paper waste 50,8 0 % 0 0 %
    of which municipal waste 895,6 +0,2 % +1,5 0,7 %
    Total capacity 136 211 +0,5 % +652,6 100 %

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    Understanding the difference between energy and power

    Power (measured in watts, symbol W) represents a generation resource’s ability to deliver a quantity of energy per unit of time. A watt-hour (Wh) quantifies the energy delivered: 1 Wh is the energy produced by a 1 W generation facility over a one-hour period (1 W × 1h).

    In addition to kilowatt-hours (kWh = 103 Wh), larger multiples of watt-hours are often used to describe electricity generation: megawatt-hours (MWh = 106 Wh), gigawatt-hours (GWh = 109 Wh) and terawatt-hours (TWh = 1012 Wh). The energy consumed in one hour corresponds to power delivered to meet demand during that hour.

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    The national registry of power generation and storage facilities

    Since 2017, RTE has been listing the main characteristics of French power generation and storage facilities on OpenData Réseaux Energie, which is updated every month. Information provided includes the location of facilities, the type of technology and fuel used, capacity and annual output.

    The data comes from al system operators in mainland France and the overseas territories. It can be found here Open Data Réseau Energie..

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