UPDATE 1-France says power outages this winter unlikely

* No need for pessimism but for cautiousness-Minister

* Power imports may reach 7,000 MW in case of persistent cold-RTE

* France may import 3,500 MW in Dec. due to maintenance-RTE

* French supply situation seen recovering at start of 2012-RTE (Recasts with France's Energy Minister comments, details)

By Muriel Boselli

PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - France should meet its electricity needs this winter despite Germany's reduced nuclear power production, but the government has not ruled out a large-scale blackout if intense cold causes bottlenecks on the German power grid.

Germany's move to shut eight nuclear reactors after Japan's Fukushima disaster has led to a more fragile situation for electricity flows, France's Energy Minister Eric Besson said at a joint news briefing with the country's power grid operator RTE, which released a report on the winter outlook.

The main risk to supply over the winter was not linked to a lack of production capacity, French Energy Minister Eric Besson told reporters. Instead moving power from the north of the country to the south where the nuclear power stations were mainly situated would cause congestion on Germany's grid.

"The risk is not to be able to transport this electricity where it will be needed," Besson said, adding that an overload of German power lines during intense cold could spread to the French power transport network, particularly in eastern France.

"This could translate by a collapse in voltage that could itself lead to a large scale blackout. This is not a likely scenario but a worse case scenario. So there is no need to be overly pessimistic but very cautious," Besson said .

The impact of Germany's decision to shut 8 nuclear reactors this year after the Fukushima disaster has already been felt, Besson added.

In the nine first months of 2011, French power exports to Germany rose by 11 percent on the same period in 2010 while French imports from Europe's largest economy plunged by 50 percent, he said.

France returned to being a net exporter to Germany during that period.

While RTE, a fully-owned subsidiary of the state-controlled French utility EDF ,said in its report a closer coordination would be needed with neighbouring power grid operators to take joint decisions, it said the risk of a power outage this winter was moderate.

Figures from the European transmission systems operator show Germany returned to net power exporting in early October, reaching export volumes last seen before the nuclear moratorium.

Windier than usual weather helped by driving wind turbines, but even without this factor the German power market looks over supplied.

RTE said a persistent cold wave in France, with temperatures 6 to 8 degrees Celsius below seasonal averages, would push demand sharply higher, leading to imports of up to 7,000 megawatts (MW), or the equivalent output capacity of 7 nuclear reactors.

France may also resort to electricity imports in November and December when a big share of power plants will be undergoing maintenance, the report said.

"The import level could reach 3,500 MW at the start of December," the grid said in its report.

(Reporting by Muriel Boselli; Editing by Anthony Barker)