 Poster: A snowHead
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Rolling power cuts of 2 hours at a time could shut down ski resorts next week. With arctic temperatures set to hit the Alps the French electricity system is near breaking point. A third of French nuclear power stations are currently undergoing maintenance leaving the grid stretched. The government has asked people to cut down on heating.
Full story in the Telegraph on Monday.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 14-01-17 13:40; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Working in Paris at the moment and everyone is making plans for the powercuts. As you say I think there are 7 nuclear power stations currently not generating.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Interesting: a quick Google search using "France possible power cuts" get lots of responses, most dated November 2016!
Seems predicted some time ago.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Lots of ski lifts have diesel engines as backup but it may be a safety issue to run the lift with only one power source
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The diesel motors are barely sufficient to move the cable. They are for emergencies only. Some ski areas are off grid however and use generators to provide their own power. Probably not many of those in France these days.
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| Peter S wrote: |
| The diesel motors are barely sufficient to move the cable. They are for emergencies only. Some ski areas are off grid however and use generators to provide their own electrictyr. Probably not many of those in France these days. |
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Some years ago I was on the fairly old Fallbolden chairlift in Wengen when it lost power and they had to use the backup generator. The chairlift crawled forward very slowly and by the time I reached the top it was a good half hour since it had first stopped. Fortunately it was a sunny day with little wind, and when I got off I was given a voucher for a free drink at one of the mountain restaurants in recompense.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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would you be entitled to a rebate on the lift passes if they do shut down for a couple of hours a day?
could be costly to the lift companies especially if it carries on and coincides with half term!
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I expect that it varies from lift to lift, I have been on lifts that are running normally with the definite sound of a diesel running, when the same lift has been quietly running on electricity on previous days.
I guess that the lift engineers will fit a fully functional backup in locations that have frequent power outages but just a cheaper emergency backup if the supply is more reliable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| terrygasson wrote: |
would you be entitled to a rebate on the lift passes if they do shut down for a couple of hours a day?
could be costly to the lift companies especially if it carries on and coincides with half term! |
One half of me would say "definitely so, it's a lift pass so if the lifts aren't provided, money back"
The other half would say "this is French lift companies. They've probably got it written into the T&Cs, which you accept by buying a lift pass, that they don't actually have to provide you with a lift service, you're just buying a pretty piece of plastic which happens to open the gates".
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If you read the detail of the Granby accident that lift ( on a hill that basically only served beginners and intermediates) had an electric drive ( which caused the problem) a diesel auxiliary and a second diesel emergency or evacuation source. So do major lifts in France not have a similar set up?
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Do you get your money back if it's too snowy to ski much? No.
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You know it makes sense.
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@Dave of the Marmottes, ...indeed they do ... regret it's usually diesel backup which amounts to dropping one of those tiny Solex motors onto the front wheel of a moped. Sounds the same and has the same paltry effect .. a tiny chugging to turn the lift sufficiently to get people off, not actually run the lift at a realistic speed ..
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| terrygasson wrote: |
would you be entitled to a rebate on the lift passes if they do shut down for a couple of hours a day?
could be costly to the lift companies especially if it carries on and coincides with half term! |
They probably will keep some lifts running to avoid this scenario.
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Poster: A snowHead
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France is really having a rough ride of it this season. Snow late to arrive, threat of a canon ban and now this. How come all these nuclear power stations are having maintenance at the same time?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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What about the much vaunted inter european interconnected cable, I thought the EU ambition was to achieve an EU wide power grid?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| boredsurfin wrote: |
| What about the much vaunted inter european interconnected cable, I thought the EU ambition was to achieve an EU wide power grid? |
Has anyone got any spare though?
Hope they can't siphon the output from Hinckley C to France if they want to...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| esaw1 wrote: |
| France is really having a rough ride of it this season. Snow late to arrive, threat of a canon ban and now this. How come all these nuclear power stations are having maintenance at the same time? |
The containment chambers of 18 French reactors were built with steel from recycled French cars and need careful safety controls.
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Sat 14-01-17 19:00; edited 1 time in total
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Steady on! I drive a Peugeot. Not nuclear powered mind.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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So what's the problem, just get touring folks 
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| Jonpim wrote: |
Interesting: a quick Google search using "France possible power cuts" get lots of responses, most dated November 2016!
Seems predicted some time ago. |
on bfm tv on thursday they were talking about possible cuts next week.
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Usually, when output is limited it's the guts on the lowest tariffs that go first.I'd imagine the big !inked resorts renegotiated some very good deals. Then again , there are probably fines contracts for loss of supply. Then there's the political side of it.who's in power and which voters do breakfast want to upset?
It will be interesting to see How it pans out.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Snowguns shutting down because of water shortages...
Lifts closing due to electricity shortages...
France is losing the plot.
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Still got some way to go yet to catch up with us 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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IIRC the UK power supply from France has been partially severed for a while - but if France can't supply itself a full supply wouldn't be that much use anyway.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Have been very slowly winched up with a diesel back up. Very slowly.
Lift outages? I shall go XC skiing or snowshoeing.
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| terrygasson wrote: |
would you be entitled to a rebate on the lift passes if they do shut down for a couple of hours a day?
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Read your terms and conditions. The answer is no.
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