Orange masts in France are now powered by batteries

Phone operator takes part of its network off-grid at peak load times in effort to avoid power shortages

FRANCE’S biggest mobile operator is using batteries to power its phone masts as the country scrambles to avoid blackouts this winter.

Orange says it is taking part of its network off the national electricity grid for about an hour at peak times to reduce stress on the system. Masts are using their back-up batteries to stay online.

This is cutting demand on the grid by the equivalent of a “medium-sized town”, the company said. It came as the head of France’s grid operator warned the country may face “some days” of power shortages this winter.

France’s electricity supplies are stretched because of major outages at its ageing fleet of nuclear reactors. Run by the state operator EDF, they supply about 70pc of France’s electricity but several are shut for maintenance or owing to corrosion.

The energy system also faces gas shortages after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Orange is among several big French businesses using less energy.

The supermarket chain Carrefour is cutting its lighting by 40pc to 70pc and lowering heating in stores by 2C.

Airport operator Vinci is turning down the heating in airports, while the lights on the Eiffel Tower are being switched off earlier.

France’s electricity grid operator, RTE, has set up a service called Ecowatt which publishes forecast electricity supplies including “red alerts” if power supplies are tight and consumers need to use less.

Xavier Piechaczyk, head of RTE, told France Info radio yesterday that power cuts were “not inevitable” but the “situation entails risk”. More people should sign up to Ecowatt, he added.

Mr Piechaczyk said France has 35 gigawatts of available nuclear power as of yesterday, and it is hoped the fleet will be up to 40 gigawatt capacity by the start of January. Nathalie Gerl, an analyst at Refinitiv, said that 35 gigawatts of nuclear power might be too low to meet peak demand.

However, Frederic Lefort, head of business clients at power supplier Engie, said he was not expecting any red alerts until the end of the year.

Olivier Veran, a spokesman for the government, told French television that power cuts could not be ruled out if the weather is cold in January.

Power supplies in France affect those in the UK as Britain often needs to import power to meet demand. This might not be possible in difficult periods if the French have none to send.

The British Government has only recently adopted the European approach of actively encouraging consumers to save energy, with a new £18m public information campaign advising people to draught-proof their windows and turn down boiler flow temperature.

Orange said its switch to batteries at peak times is “having no impact on network

‘We will find creative ways to improve our energy consumption efficiency and encourage sobriety’

performance”. The company, which reported worldwide sales of €42.5bn (£36.5bn) in 2021, said it has also cut the temperature in its shops to 19C to reduce the amount of electricity it uses for heating.

Lights in its buildings are being switched off earlier, 30 minutes after closing time in France.

Marie-noelle Jégo-laveissière, Orange’s deputy chief executive, said: “In today’s increasingly digital world, our networks and services have become a critical element of our society and economies.

“However, we also believe that we have a duty to minimise our impact on the planet.

“We are determined to continue to find creative ways to improve our energy consumption efficiency and encourage sobriety, while ensuring the resilience of our network and sites.”