Explore France

In this episode of the Spotlight on Country Series, France takes the stage. With two exciting panels, hosted by Smile and Think Smart Grids federates, you can expect to gain more insights in the French energy market.

Part 1: Smile gathers innovative projects around the energy transition topic. One of the main focus is collective self-consumption, which covers storage, renewable production, mobility, energy management, etc. It applies to microgrid such as islands, rural areas, but also residential and commercial areas. Involved Smile stakeholders will use concrete examples to demonstrate the best-practices and knowhow of western France.

Part 2: Think Smartgrids federates that represent the French Smart Grid ecosystem, chaired by Marianne Laigneau, President of the Enedis Management Board, aims to develop the Smart Grids sector in France, but also to develop international collaborations on behalf of its members and represent France within the Global Smart Energy Federation.

New applications of AI for networks and energy transition is one of the study topics of Think Smartgrids’ Scientific Council and Data & Digital Transformation working group. The speakers will present concrete use cases that show how AI can improve the integration and distribution of Renewable Energies, as well as investment planning and the cost-efficiency of projects.

Date: Tuesday, 26 January 2021, 11:00 - 12:30 (CET)

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Moderators:

• Valérie-Anne Lencznar, Managing Director, Think Smartgrids
• Marine Gabory, smartgrids showroom manager in Nantes, Smile association (Part 1)
• Thomas Bazin, Strategic Account Executive, Schneider Electric (Part 2)

Speakers:

• Françoise Restif, Smile project coordinator, Bretagne Developpement Innovation
• Henri Le Gallais, Chairman, ENAG
• Nicolas Samon, Business Developer, Enerfox
• Lynda Lamraoui, Chief Marketing Officer, ENGIE Home Performance
• Georges Kariniotakis, Professor, MINES ParisTech and Head of Renewable Energies & Smartgrids Group (ERSEI)
• Vincent Renault, R&D Director, Artelys
• Olivier Genest, Director, Trialog

France has a low-carbon electricity mix owing to its large nuclear fleet, yet many reactors are reaching the end of their lifetime. France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very low cost of generation.

The country has started an ambitious energy transition under the Energy and Climate Change Law 2019 by designing a national low-carbon strategy, carbon budgets, a carbon price trajectory and a planning framework for energy investment. The objectives for France are also the improvement of energy efficiency and reductions in primary energy consumption, especially fossil fuel consumption; promotion of the use of renewable and recovered energies; the balanced development of energy networks, storage and transformation and the management of energy demand, in particular to promote local energy production, the development of smart grids and self-production.

Recently, France is examining scenarios of very high shares of variable renewables to understand the implications for electricity security and systems operation, including in the regional context.

Key Objectives

• Reduce the share of nuclear from today 75% to 50% in the electricity mix by 2035. The plan is to decommission around 14 nuclear reactors by 2035 and fill the gap with renewable energy sources.
• Achieve 33% renewable energy in its energy mix in 2030
• Reduce fossil fuel consumption by 40% by 2030
• Achieve -7,5 % overall energy consumption by 2023 and -16,5 % by 2028
• Carbon Neutral by 2050

The 2021 exhibition floor will welcome many French companies, many of them joined under the collective Pavilion organised by Business France, showcasing the latest French technology and innovation experience in the field of smart grids.

Find out more at the Businesss France website and reach out to Sophie Issovits to find out more details about getting involved.

Besides the companies on the pavilions, several others, as well as start-ups, will be present on the exhibition floor representing the best of what is being made in France, during Enlit Europe 2021.

If you are a French start-up or SME you could benefit from the Recovery Plan for export (Plan de relance Export) which directly responds to the needs of SMEs and mid-cap companies wishing to strengthen their international strike force. Apply now to see if you are eligible to get up to 50% of your costs refunded with the Recovery cheques for export (Cheques relance Export), one of the flagship measures which allows to benefit from export support services by approved operators. For more information get in touch with Sophie Issovits at Business France.

Do you want to learn more about joining the country pavilions or participate as an exhibitor? Contact Eva Hureau or make a stand enquiry:

Make a Stand Enquiry

We are expecting 2,000 French representatives to join us at Enlit Europe 2021, representing over 800 companies like:

ALPIQ, Boralex, Bordeaux Metropole Energies, Centrica, Communauté Urbaine de Dunkerque, Dalkia Biogaz, EDF International Networks, EDF Renewables, EDF Research & Development, EDF Trading, ekWateur, Endesa, Enedis, Enedis Pays de la Loire, Enercoop, Enertrag France, ENGIE, ENGIE Green, Eni Gas and Power France, ERANOVE, Eranove Group, GAZEL Energie, GRDF, GreenAlp, GRTgaz, Réseau de Transport d'Electricité, R-GDS, RTE, SAUR Group, SICAE OISE, SICAE Somme et Cambraisis, Statkraft, Suez, TOTAL, Total Direct Energie, Veolia, Voltalia.

And registrations coming in as we speak! Do you want to get in touch? Start networking via our Networking Platform - Swapcard. If you're not signed in to Swapcard, register for free here.