France braced for electricity consumption peaks-RTE

PARIS, Dec 17 (Reuters) - French power grid RTE expects a persistent cold snap to push electricity demand to new records in the peak hours between Dec. 17 and Dec. 21, it said on Monday.

The French grid said on its Website that electricity demand levels would peak at 87,900 MW on Dec. 18 and would remain, between Dec. 17 and Dec. 21, at above the latest record of 86,280 MW reached on Jan. 27, 2006.

France's state weather forecaster Meteo France predicts temperatures this week will range between minus one degree Celsius in eastern France to plus six degrees in western France.

France has a total power capacity production of 99,896 MW, including 63,260 MW of nuclear power.

According to a Reuters estimate, online availability is currently at 56,100 MW, or 88.70 percent of total capacity.

France's state-owned utility EDF (EDF.PA) said on Friday it was in the process of restarting two nuclear reactors.

Once reconnected, the reactors will add some 2,350 MW to the grid.

The reactors are the 900-MW Fessenheim 2 and the 1,450-MW Chooz 1. (Reporting by Muriel Boselli, editing by Anthony Barker)