French Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu says electrification is now a concern of ‘national interest’ and no longer just about climate change.
France wants to fast-track its electrification as the war on Iran continues to highlight the dangers of fossil fuel reliance.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Europe’s oil and gas prices could remain high for a while, despite dips in the market following the announcement of a two-week-long ceasefire.
Weeks of strikes on Gulf facilities are expected to have a multi-year impact on gas supply, while the Strait of Hormuz – which carries around one-fifth of global oil supplies – has been effectively closed since the war began.
Soaring prices have encouraged Europeans from across the continent to move towards home-grown, clean energy – with the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and rooftop solar panels increasing in several nations. The UK has also become the latest European country to greenlight plug-in solar systems to help households cut their energy bills.
Is France finally turning its back on fossil fuels?
On 1 April, the French government announced it was moving to accelerate the electrification of its economy and phase out reliance on fossil fuel imports.
“The issue is no longer only about climate, it now concerns national interest,” Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu said at the time.
The government already aims to cut France’s dependency on fossil fuels from 60 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030. This will mainly be achieved by electrifying transport and buildings, as well as the “wider adoption” of EVs and heat pumps.
“The French government’s electrification plan can set a positive precedent for Europe in structurally addressing the current energy crisis,” says Neil Makaroff, Director of pan-European thinktank Strategic Perspectives.
“France is uniquely positioned to lead the continent’s electrification, with abundant low-carbon electricity, an established nuclear fleet, and vast renewable potential – particularly in offshore wind and solar power.”
Earlier this year, France announced it was aiming for 60 per cent electricity consumption by 2030, with six new nuclear reactors and a mix of renewables spearheading the drive.
More EV charging stations and heat pump grants
This week (8 April), state-owned energy firm Électricité de France (EDF Group) unveiled a €240 million investment to support France’s electrification.
It has earmarked €30 million in purchase subsidies for transport operators converting diesel-chugging trucks into electric heavy goods vehicles, with the average subsidy amounting to €15,000 per truck.
A further €50 million will be allocated to the installation of 180 charging stations for long-distance electric trucks across mainland France within the next three years.
€80 million will be dedicated to supporting projects for the installation of new electricity-consuming industries in France. EDF says it will also offer “turnkey sites with grid connections” to reduce industrial setup timelines. This means instead of waiting years for approvals to connect to the grid, companies will be able to start operating much more quickly.
The support fund will also provide a flat-rate grant of €1,000 (combined with existing schemes) to 80,000 low-income households for the installation of a heat pump to replace gas or oil boilers.
“Today, more than ever, we want to accelerate the electrification of uses in order to help the country reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, particularly gas and oil,” says Bernard Fontana, CEO of the EDF Group.
Fontana adds that the €240 million commitment is proof that EDF is taking “concrete action” to support France’s energy and industrial sovereignty.
You can find out more about the EDF fund here.
Is France’s electrification plan enough?
In 2024, almost half (47.5 per cent) of EU electricity came from renewables, marking a 2.1 per cent increase from the year before.
According to Eurostat data, Austria led the way by generating 90.1 per cent of consumed electricity from renewable sources. This was followed by Sweden (88.1 per cent) and Denmark (79.7 per cent).
France only registered 31.3 per cent of renewables during 2024 - ranking below its neighbour, Spain (59.7 per cent). The country remains loyal to nuclear power, where it derives around 67 per cent of its energy mix.
The Prime Minister has repeatedly rejected framing the debate as nuclear versus renewables, arguing that doing so is a “dead end” – despite concerns around waste disposal, set-up costs and catastrophic risks of sabotage.
“The real battle is to get out of carbon and reduce our dependence on imports,” he said earlier this year.
While nuclear energy does not release greenhouse gases, and is therefore classed as a low-carbon fuel, it is not considered renewable. This is because nuclear power is produced from uranium, which is a finite resource found in the Earth’s crust.
