WSHPDR_2013_Final_Report-updated_version

4.4.3 France
European Small Hydropower Association, Stream Map
Key facts
Population 65,630,692 1
Area 643,801 km 2
Climate Three types of climates may be found;
oceanic (west), continental (central, east)
and Mediterranean (south), except in the
mountainous southwest). 2
Topography Mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in
north and west; remainder is
mountainous, especially Pyrenees in
south and Alps in east 1
Rain pattern Annual precipitation ranges from 680
mm in the central and southern region to
1,000 mm around Paris / Bordeaux. In
the northern coastal and the
mountainous areas precipitation can
reach more than 1,120 mm. 2
Electricity sector overview
Electricity generation in France is predominantly based
on nuclear energy (figure 1). Renewable energies,
especially wind and hydro, account for about 11 per
cent of the electricity mix.
PV
Imported Electricity
Wind
Hydro
Conventional Thermal
Nuclear
0.35%
1.27%
2.14%
8.90%
9.67%
77.67%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Figure 1 Electricity generation in France
Source: Commissariat General au Développement
Durable 3
Small hydropower sector overview and potential
In 2010, France had 1,935 small hydropower plants and
a total installed capacity of 2,110 MW (6,920 GWh)
(figure 2). By 2020, the aim is to have 2,355 small
hydropower plants with a total installed capacity of
2,615 MW (8,730 GWh).
SHP installed capacity
SHP potential
2110 MW
2615 MW
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
Figure 2 Small hydropower capacities in France
Note: Potential is based on planned capacity by 2020.
In 2012, Union Française de l’Électricité (UFE) in
association with France Hydro Électricité carried out a
map of residual sites for hydro development. A potential
of 10.6 TWh was set up. However, the technical
feasibility of each site was not analyzed and the option
of improving existing hydro plants were not considered,
nor energy losses due to the implementation of the EU
Water Framework Directive.
Most of the hydro potential can be found in greenfield
schemes. Around 500 sites from 300 kW to 50 MW
could generate 9.5 TWh. Existing small weirs can be
equipped generating 1.1 TWh and be an opportunity to
enhance ecological continuity. The Alps, Massif Central
and the Pyrenees are the main locations.
For small hydro, the total potential is estimated at about
527 new greenfield sites (1,214 MW and 4,368 GWh)
and at equipping 734 of existing small weirs (303 MW
and 1,068 GWh). To estimate the feasible potential, the
following ratio was applied – cut one third for economic
and technical constraints and another third for
environmental constraints (revision of classification in
course), i.e. 419 power plants, 525 MW and 1,812 GWh
by 2020.
A commitment agreement for the development of
sustainable hydropower in compliance with aquatic
environments restoration was signed in June 2010 to
promote hydropower if deemed suitable with
environment specifications. A part of the engagement
directly concerns the equipment of existing weirs. The
methodology and the “suitable conditions” to build a
power plant onto existing weirs need to be made more
precise.
A guidebook Towards the Hydroelectric Plant of the 21st
Century for the development of small hydropower
plants with regard to the natural environment is
available. It defines standards for the conception of a
high environmental quality plant. This guide is
recognized and disseminated by national
administrations.
The French water administration, drafted an inventory
of obstacles in rivers and aims to assess the degree to
which those obstacles block the movement of species
and sediment. A database was created in May 2012,
including more than 60,000 obstacles such as dams,
locks, weirs, mills no longer in operation. 4 A protocol
called Informations sur la continuité écologique (ICE)
has been also created to measure the capacity of
obstruction of these obstacles. 4 This vast project,
bringing together a large number of partners, will
identify the installations causing the greatest problems
and make it possible to set priorities for corrective
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