France will need to add a large supply of renewable energy and hit several other goals to be carbon neutral by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a joint report with grid operator RTE on Wednesday.
Supply can be guaranteed using variable production such as wind and solar power if flexibility is developed through demand management, storage and power plants for peak hours, they said.
Energy efficiency, increased use of biomass, and a continued addition of carbon-neutral supply will be needed to meet this goal, they said.
Significant revisions are needed on regulations that define responsibilities and usage of power reserves, as well as improved forecasting methods.
There must also be continued development of electricity networks, both in terms of transmission and distribution, which can be partially integrated with the renewal of aging network assets.
France already operates with low carbon output due to its nuclear fleet, which will need to be decommissioned by 2050, and a decision will need to be made to either renew certain reactors or replace them with renewable energy sources.
RTE is opening a study to determine the feasibility of the system both with or without nuclear power by 2050, the results of which are expected to be presented later this year.
(Reporting by Forrest Crellin; editing by Jason Neely)
