France breaks electricity export records: key figures and business purchasing strategies

In 2022, France had to import electricity.

After this extraordinary year, the bar was raised in record time.

In 2025, France not only regained its historic role as an exporter, but crossed an unprecedented threshold. 92.3 TWh of electricity were exported, raising France to the top European ranking.

This figure reflects a strong return in French electricity production, favorable to the fall in market prices and to industrial competitiveness. But this record also reveals a structural imbalance and the delay in France in electrifying uses.

Between industrial competitiveness, change in purchasing strategies and the need to decarbonize, Sirenergies analyzes the hidden challenges behind these historic electricity exports.

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1.Electricity exports: why is France the “electric battery” of Europe?

1.1 A historic record: 92.3 TWh of electricity exported in 2025

With 92.3 terawatt hours (TWh), France reached an unprecedented level of electricity exports in 2025.

This volume exceeds the previous record by 3.5% from 2024 (89 TWh). It falls far behind the historical reference of 2022 (77 TWh).

To measure the extent of this performance, the comparison is enlightening:

‍“We are talking about considerable volumes here: 92 TWh is more than the annual consumption of a country like Belgium”, recalls Thomas Veyrenc, Director General Economy of RTE.

1.2 France, a historic exporter of electricity

This new record confirms a long-term trend.

For more than twenty years, France has been a net exporter of electricity to Europe.

A single year breaks this continuity. : 2022. France then had to import electricity.
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The cause: a drop in nuclear production (linked to the phenomenon of corrosion on several reactors), combined with strong tensions on the energy markets.

Since 2023, the dynamic has been reversed.

The years 2024 and 2025 mark a real change of scale, with export volumes never seen before.

This dynamic is reflected in excess commercial revenue : 5 billion euros in 2024 and 5.4 billion euros in 2025.

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1.3 Neighbouring countries, the main beneficiaries of French exports

Thanks to a highly interconnected European network, French electricity exports directly benefit border countries.

These interconnections balance the European electricity system, absorbing production surpluses and limiting market tensions.

European electric crossroads, France feeds first Italy, the main beneficiary exports. Next are Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. Trade with Spain remains generally balanced.

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Table 1 - Electricity trade: an overview of France's cross-border flows in 2025

‍Provisional data as of January 2, 2026. Source: RTE.

The “France Report” represents the consolidation of all border exchanges. France imports and exports simultaneously to optimize costs on the European market: it exports its carbon-free production surpluses (95% of the mix in 2025) and imports punctually when the electricity of its neighbours is more competitive or necessary for the balance of the network.

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2.Why does France export so much electricity? The three pillars of French electrical success

The record for French electricity exports is based on a structural imbalance. Domestic production is growing, while domestic demand remains sluggish.

2.1 The return of nuclear production in force

After the difficulties of 2022, the nuclear industry has recovered. The first figures from EDF announce a production of 373 TWh in 2025, 11.3 TWh more than in 2024 (+3.1%).

This increase is the result of:

• Better availability of reactors.
• Controlled management of unit shutdowns.
• Increased modulation, allowing the rapid adaptation of nuclear power to variations in demand and renewable production.

2.2 An expanding renewable mix

At the same time, renewable energies are continuing to gain momentum:

• Hydroelectricity : with 55.8 TWh in 2025, production is back to “normal” level, after an exceptionally rainy year 2024 (- 15.8%)
• STEP : with 6 TWh in 2025, pumped energy transfer stations record a Historic year, surpassing the previous record of 2014 by 400 GWh.
• Wind and solar : while the final figures are still expected, production capacities are increasing, with more than 7 GW installed in 2025 (5 GW of photovoltaics, 1 GW of wind power and 1 GW of biomass and hydraulics).

2.3 Domestic electricity consumption is still sluggish

Faced with this high electricity production, national consumption is struggling to keep up.

According to provisional data from RTE, French electricity production reached 544 TWh in 2025.

Domestic consumption is established, for her part, to 449 TWh. For the third year in a row, it remains around 6% lower than the average observed between 2014 and 2019.

This sluggish consumption is explained by two dynamics:

• Energy sobriety “suffered”, linked to sustainably high energy prices.
• A “chosen” energy sobriety, driven by voluntary efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

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3.What impact do exports have on market prices for businesses?

For businesses, production and export levels are more than just a macroeconomic indicator. They constitute a key signal for power purchase strategies.

3.1 Why does abundant production promote low spot prices?

Market logic is relentless: when supply (production) exceeds demand (consumption), prices fall.

The surplus of French electricity production thus exerts a downward pressure on short-term prices ofthe “Spot” market.

This situation favors episodes of low prices, or even negative, favorable to businesses that buy in the short term.

3.2 The Merit Order: a mechanism that amplifies the fall in prices

This dynamic is reinforced by the Merit Order mechanism that governs the European electricity market.

This principle consists in mobilizing the means of production by increasing marginal cost (additional cost required to produce an additional unit of electricity).

Concretely:

• The power plants with the lowest marginal costs — wind, solar, solar, hydraulic, then nuclear — are called in priority.
• Fossil power plants, which are more expensive, are only activated as a last resort.

The market price reflects the marginal cost of the last plant mobilized.

When fossil power plants are not called, due to moderate demand and high low-carbon production, prices are mechanically pulled down.

3.3 Electricity purchase strategy: should we give priority to offers at indexed prices?

In this context of excess production and low prices, businesses may be tempted to review their buying strategy of electricity.

Offers indexed to the spot are gaining in attractiveness. By taking direct advantage of periods of low prices, businesses can generate significant savings.

However, this strategy is not without risks. The spot market remains a volatile market, especially in the event of peaks in consumption or tensions on production.

Full exposure to the spot can weaken businesses.

One balanced strategy often consists in combining:

• A portion of indexed prices, to take advantage of low price opportunities.
• A portion of futures contracts or fixed-price contracts, to secure costs and smooth risks.

With Sirenergies, find the right compromise between opportunity and security, according to your consumption profile, your risk tolerance and your energy management capacity.

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4.2026 challenge: exporting electricity or electrifying uses?

Behind the electricity export records, a wider challenge is emerging: France's ability to put its low-carbon production surpluses at the service of national and European decarbonization.

4.1 French electricity, a decarbonization lever for Europe

Produced at 95% from low-carbon and renewable sources, French electricity plays a key role in the European energy transition.

Each megawatt hour exported often replaces one fossil MWh, derived from coal or gas in a neighboring country. Far from being marginal, French exports thus contribute to the reduction of European emissions, while strengthening the security of supply.

4.2 An electricity transmission network in need of modernization

This increase in exports is putting pressure on the transport network.

Although robust, European interconnections sometimes reach their physical limits during peak exports.

RTE has hired several interconnection projects. The objective? Support high trade flows, without compromising security of supply. By 2030, its Ten-Year Network Development Plan (SDDR) aims to:

• Increase export capacity by 11 GW.
• Increase import capacity by 9 GW.

These investments are accompanied by a strengthening the national network. 

What's at stake? Prevent internal transit capacities from becoming border bottlenecks.

4.3 Electrifying France first

Exporting low-carbon electricity is an asset.

But export records also reveal a paradox: the delay taken by France in the electrification of its uses.

France is not fully exploiting its low-carbon electrical potential for its own energy transition. RTE highlights this paradox in its 2025 electricity report:

“France's electricity consumption is not in line with the goals of decarbonization and reindustrialization.”

The real challenge now is to Accelerate the electrification of national uses (transport, heat, industrial processes). This is the challenge of the electrification plan announced by the government in early 2026, which should be at the heart of the future. Multiannual Energy Programming (PPE).

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5. Conclusion

Electricity export records support the competitiveness of French businesses thanks to lower market prices. But they highlight a structural paradox: France exports its low-carbon electricity massively, rather than devoting it to its own decarbonization.

The challenge of the coming years will be twofold and delicate: it is a question of accelerating national electrification, while maintaining the balance of the European market and industrial competitiveness.

In this changing environment, reading market signals and anticipating structural changes are crucial. This is the key to securing electricity purchases and controlling costs sustainably.

Fixed or indexed prices, market signals...: do you not have the expertise to understand and arbitrate?

With you, Sirenergies builds a personalized and efficient purchasing strategy for a controlled electricity bill.

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