RTE has published a map of all the pooling areas for the hosting of consumption. This mapping displays all of the areas under study or validated by the CRE, their perimeter, and in the case of the validated areas, the amount of the unit share, as well as the planned works and their progress.

Beneficiaries

• Consumers
• DSO

New needs and new ways to meet them

As part of national and European guidelines to combat greenhouse gas emissions, many industrial players have recently launched decarbonisation projects. Many of these projects are highly electricity-intensive: they may involve the modification of existing industrial facilities to enable electrification, high-power hydrogen electrolysers, or new industrial installations for decarbonisation of energy uses (e-fuel production, battery gigafactories or photovoltaic panels, etc.). 

Simultaneously, requests from data centres for connection to the public transmission network are growing significantly. These requests are generally very concentrated in geographically limited areas, explained by the need to be close to large optical hubs on one hand, and to users on the other hand. This frequently leads data centres to be located in peri-urban areas, mainly in Ile-de-France region or the Marseille metropolitan area.

To support these new needs, connection solutions must evolve, shifting from a project-by-project approach to a logic of anticipation and pooling on a geographically limited area. The aim is to prepare the transmission grid for the electrification of industrial areas and the massive arrival of data centres by building new high-capacity electrical infrastructures capable of accommodating several manufacturers, while managing the cost, time lines and environmental impact of these connections. 

The renewable energy acceleration law no. 2023-175 (known as the “APER law”), adopted on March 10, 2023, has introduced new provisions (Articles L.342-2 and L.342-18 of the Energy Code) to meet these needs and objectives. Concerning the pooling of the connection to the public transmission system, it provides that the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) may authorise RTE (I) to size electrical connection infrastructure to enable the simultaneous or subsequent connection of several facilities and (ii) to share the cost equitably among the beneficiaries by applying a pro-rata share.
Decree n° 2024-524 of June 7 2024, as well as the CRE’s framework deliberation n°2024-200 specify certain elements of this pooling framework. 

In order to inform its customers and in accordance with the abovementioned decree, RTE is providing the interactive map below, showing:

• All pooling areas under study or approved by the CRE, and the key information about each.
• A detailed view of each area, outlining its perimeter, and for the areas approved by the CRE presenting the pooled infrastructure to be built and the potential installations to be reinforced, as well as the progress of the associated works.

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Map data can be downloaded at this link.

Map of the pooling areas in France 

This map lists all the pooling areas in France. It appears by zooming out on the interactive map, and distinguishes three types of areas according to their status. 

The areas for which works has been approved by the CRE

These areas have been the subject of a CRE deliberation approving their content and the value of the associated unit share. The following information is displayed:

• Total capacity offered (MW): Consumption hosting capacity offered by the set of pooled infrastructure, reserved for consumption facilities connected to the transmission network and for the distribution network installations. 
• Capacity already allocated (MW): The sum of the connection powers of the consumption facilities or installations of the distribution network on the area already in service or queued, i.e. for which a TFP has been accepted, or a connection agreement sent or accepted.
• Residual capacity (MW): The difference between the total capacity offered and the capacity already allocated.
• Unit share (k€/MW): The financial contribution (per MW of requested connection power) of the consumer customers and distribution network installations in the pooling area. This value already takes into account the tariff reduction rate of 30%.
• HVB1 ceiling (k€/MW): Where applicable, the value of the unit share for applicants connected or to be connected to the HVB1 voltage level.
• Estimated date of availability: Estimated date of completion of work for all pooled infrastructures. 

Pooling is the reference solution to satisfy connection requests from consumption facilities or public distribution networks received in one of these areas.

Areas for which pooling has been proposed and shared with the CRE

Pending the publication of Decree No. 2024-524 of 7 June 2024 implementing Article 32 of the APER law, RTE has received numerous connection requests concentrated in certain areas. Pooled infrastructure projects have been investigated in these areas. The results of these studies were shared with the CRE, which agreed that RTE would provide the customers concerned with TFPs based on the pooled infrastructures.

Following the publication of the decree of June 7 2024 and the framework deliberation of the CRE [insert the number of the delib, and a link to the delib], RTE intends to make a formal submission to the CRE for each of these areas, in order to obtain its authorisation for the pooling project. Pending these authorisations and to provide visibility for the parties, RTE publishes a map of these areas displaying the total capacity offered and the residual capacity, as well as the list of substations benefiting from the connection capacity.  

Areas for which pooled infrastructures are being studied

These are the areas for which RTE is studying the potential for setting up pooled infrastructures to meet a consumption need RTE is aware of. The following information is displayed:

• Study start date: The date RTE published the launch of a study on its website for the potential creation of a pooling area.
• Estimated end of study date: Expected date for submission to the CRE if the examination confirms the interest of the pooled infrastructure project. The CRE will then have a maximum period of 2 months to examine the submission, after which RTE will have 3 months from the authorisation of the CRE to respond to all pending TFP requests.  

Survey of projects concerning the areas under study

The examination of a pooling project requires having the most precise possible vision of the expected consumption demands. RTE therefore encourages stakeholders who have a connection or power increase project in the area concerned to declare this project before the end of the study in writing to the following address: rte-fcent-raccordement-conso-dist@rte-france.com.

Detailed maps of each area

These maps are displayed by zooming into an area on the interactive map, or by clicking on an area in the list on the left. These maps define the perimeter of each pooling area, displaying the electrical substations that are part of the area. The pro-rata share will be required for all customers connecting to one of these substations, or between two substations, or on a supply link to one of these substations. As long as an area is not approved by the CRE, its perimeter may change to take into account the results of the studies RTE is conducting.

For the areas approved by the CRE, the detailed map also lists the works to build pooled infrastructures and the potential installations to be reinforced, and displays their level of progress. Note that depending on the level of maturity of the studies or consultation with the public, the location on the map of the installations may be approximate, and will not predetermine the final location. The location will be specified after consultation with the public and after the administrative procedures have been obtained. 

Reference documentation

• Decree No. 2024-524 of 7 June 2024 
• CRE framework deliberation 

Contact(s)

For any questions, please contact your account manager or marketservices@rte-france.com.

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