France physical electricity exchange balance
France physical electricity exchange balance stood at -216.24 GWh on Oct 18, 2026, according to ODRé – Open Data Réseaux Énergies (RTE, NaTran, Teréga). It is one of the indicators in the Daily electricity table (Value · Daily), with a complete series running from Jan 1, 2012 to Oct 18, 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Daily electricity table
| Indicator | 18-10-2026 | 17-10-2026 | 16-10-2026 | 15-10-2026 | 14-10-2026 | 13-10-2026 | 12-10-2026 | 11-10-2026 | 10-10-2026 | 09-10-2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical exchange balance (negative = net exports) | -216.24 | -282.67 | -244.17 | -202.5 | -128.45 | -166.66 | -209.67 | -212.57 | -184.41 | -239.18 | |
| Carbon intensity of electricity generation (daily average) | 33.35 | 14.75 | 34 | 33.45 | 31.33 | 20.76 | 28.74 | 22.21 | 15.47 | 13.89 | |
| Consumption | 991.36 | 977.95 | 1,059.13 | 1,077.79 | 1,080.97 | 1,079.34 | 1,071.32 | 943.74 | 962.86 | 1,073.44 |
Understanding france physical electricity exchange balance
Net cross border flows of electrical energy between domestic transmission grids and interconnected foreign networks, where negative values indicate net exports, are quantified by France physical electricity exchange balance. This metric calculates the algebraic sum of all physical power imports and exports across international interconnector lines. It differs from internal generation and consumption series by capturing trade dynamics and structural power surpluses or deficits relative to neighboring countries. The measurement encompasses all high voltage cross border tie lines, omitting commercial paper trades that do not correspond to actual physical electron flows across frontiers.
Interpretation requires an understanding of regional European market coupling, interconnector capacity allocations, and price differentials between domestic and foreign wholesale electricity pools. Year on year comparisons highlight structural shifts in national power generation adequacy, whereas daily fluctuations reflect transient weather events or neighbor grid emergencies. Preliminary exchange balances are routinely revised when cross border metering data is fully reconciled with neighboring system operators. A common analytical error is treating scheduled commercial exchange nominations as identical to physical flows, ignoring loop flows and unscheduled power transits driven by network physics.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a negative value signify in the physical exchange balance series?
- A negative figure indicates that the country exported more electricity to neighboring nations than it imported across transmission interconnectors.
- Do commercial electricity trade contracts always match these physical exchange figures?
- No, physical flows frequently diverge from commercial schedules due to network physics, loop flows, and unforced transit discrepancies.
- Why do exchange balances fluctuate significantly across different days?
- Changes in domestic generation costs, weather conditions, and neighbor demand create shifting price differentials that drive cross border power flows.