Commercial operations
RTE declared a turnover of €4,126 million in 2007, and yielding a profit of €466 million, both up slightly from the previous year, which RTE attributed to increases in network access payments and revenue derived from interconnector capacity auctions. The workforce in the same year was 8,279.
Transmission network
RTE's transmission system operates at voltages of 63 kV, 90 kV, 150 kV, 225 kV and 400 kV. RTE deems the 63 to 150 kV circuits to be "high voltage" and the 225 kV and 400 kV "extra high voltage". As of the end of 2006, there were 99,676 km (61,940 mi) of transmission lines interconnecting 2,490 substations. Most of the transmission network is carried on 77,544 route-kilometres (48,180 mi) of overhead power lines; only 3,258 km (2,020 mi) of the network consists of underground cable. In common with the rest of Europe, the supply frequency is a nominal 50 Hz.
Demand and trade
France's peak demand occurs during the winter, and in 2007 was 88,960 MW. The annual production of electricity was 544.7 TWh, generated from an installed capacity of 108,319 MW, almost 60% of which was nuclear.
RTE's network interconnects with those of its counterparts in most of France's neighbouring countries, and the international trade (both import and export) of electricity is a major contribution to RTE's business activities. France is the largest exporter of electricity in Europe, and the country is linked via a total of 44 high voltage interconnections to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom, the last of which by means of an HVDC submarine power cable. France's balance of trade in this market is normally positive; in 2007, exports of electrical energy totalled 83.0 TWh and imports 27.5 TWh. The largest trading partner was Switzerland, which imported 26.1 TWh of French electricity and exported 4.4 TWh back.
