France’s nuclear fleet was producing 55,2 gigawatts of electricity on Thursday morning, according to data from grid operator RTE. This is the highest output since February 2019 suggesting a strong recovery following an extended period of disruption mainly caused by extended maintenance.

The French giant EDF announced a strong growth in its nuclear generation for the entire year of 2024 of nearly 13%, amid “improvements in the performance of unit shutdown, improved industrial controls related to the stress corrosion issue, and the absence of major climatic hazards and social movements”, as reported by Enerdata.

As a result, France also solidified its positions as the top European power exporter. The country’s net exports reached 89 TWh in 2024, the highest in 22 years. French electricity primarily went to Germany and Belgium, reaching in Europe’s major economy an absolute record of 23,5 TWh. 

Meanwhile, a report published on Thursday morning by the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that  global generation from nuclear plants will “reach new heights in 2025 as Japan restarts production, maintenance works are completed in France.”

France’s nuclear revival couldn’t have come at a better time for neighbouring countries as falling wind generation and colder weather have tightened power markets in Europe this week. According to Bloomberg, in Germany “wind generation slumped to a low of 3.8 gigawatts on Wednesday afternoon, representing about 20% of the normal.” LSEG data showed that wind generation is expected to almost double in France compared to the previous day,  reaching 4 GW today , while remaining stable in Germany at around 11 GW.