France looking to boost renewable generation with emergency measures

The French government is set to take emergency measures to spur renewable power production ahead of the winter season, envisioning changes in power sale regulations and the pricing of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) support scheme.

Industry group WindEurope commented on the plan on Friday, saying that the proposed actions will be implemented through an upcoming emergency law that aims to further scale up renewables deployment across the country. It also comes amid fears that up to 6 GW of wind and 7 GW of solar projects could be shelved due to the economic turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine.

In order to ease the pressured energy system, the French government intends to allow new wind and solar parks to sell their output directly on the market for 18 months before locking into CfDs. Additionally, auction-winning projects will be able to lift their capacity by up to 40% before completion.

The government also plans to adopt changes to the pricing mechanism of the CfD programme so as to take into account raw material costs. Under current regulations, project developers are entitled to pay the difference between the state-guaranteed power purchase price and wholesale market prices, which have grown significantly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At present, France is producing around 20% of its total power from renewable energy sources, of which 8% come from wind power. Its goal is to make renewables account for 33% of its energy mix in 2030.

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