4. Carbon-neutral fuels

4.1 Electricity

Electricity is carbon-neutral if it is produced in a green way, which is generally the case in France, except when nuclear power plants are intermittent due to breakdowns, maintenance or heatwaves, and except when it is imperative to turn to other European countries, as has been the case since 2020 until very recently. On the other hand, the European and global electricity mix is very diversely decarbonized, from wind and photovoltaics to liquid hydrocarbons and coal.

In 2022, the EU produced 2,640 TWh of electricity. Nearly 40% of this came from renewable sources, with fossil fuels accounting for 38.6% and nuclear power for around 20%. Gas was the main fossil fuel used to generate electricity (20%), followed by coal (16%). The electricity mix...