France achieved a record 51 TWh in electricity exports during the first half of 2026, marking the highest level ever for this period. This figure dramatically surpasses the 37 TWh exported in the same period of 2025 and is comparable to France's full-year exports in 2019 (55.7 TWh) and 2023 (50.3 TWh). The country is projected to exceed its full-year records of 89 TWh in 2024 and 92.3 TWh in 2025, according to Thomas Veyrenc, Executive Director for Economy, Strategy and Finance at RTE.
Several factors contributed to this export surge. Nuclear generation saw a significant recovery, reaching 373 TWh in 2025, an increase of 3.1% from 2024, due to high reactor availability and efficient outage management. Renewable energy capacity also expanded rapidly, rising from 49 GW in 2024 to 56.2 GW in 2025, and further to 58.5 GW by mid-2026. Additionally, French electricity prices were highly competitive, with companies able to contract electricity €26/MWh lower than in Germany and €40/MWh lower than in Spain for May 2025 delivery in 2026.
Despite a heatwave in late June 2026, which increased national electricity consumption by approximately 10 GW, France maintained its strong export performance, exporting 1.35 TWh during this period. Major export destinations included Germany-Belgium (14 TWh), Italy (14 TWh), and the United Kingdom (12 TWh). France remained a slight importer from Spain (-1 TWh) due to low prices in that country. Electricity consumption in France remained stable in 2025 at 451 TWh, about 6% below pre-crisis levels.
