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Cold weather 'could cause power cuts' in France next week

Analysts' comments came as grid operator RTE said France may face “some days” this winter when there was too little electricity supply.

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Cold weather could lead to power cuts in France on Monday as delays to the restart of nuclear power following repair work leave supply lagging demand, analysts said, reports The Globe and Mail

Nuclear power supply had been expected to reach around 40 gigawatts (GW) this week, but operator EDF’s delay in restarting reactors meant it rose to only around 35 GW, leaving France more reliant on imports and gas-fired production.

Refinitiv analyst Nathalie Gerl said the situation as a cold spell grips northwestern Europe this weekend and next week would be “much more critical” but for efforts to curb demand, especially by big industrial consumers.

There was still a risk of a shortfall just on Monday, she said.

Read more of this report from The Globe and Mail.