Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Electricite de France SA, Europe’s biggest power generator, came under pressure from the French government today to increase the number of nuclear reactors online amid growing concerns over the reliance on imports.

EDF must “raise the rate of availability,” of its reactors, French Environment and Energy Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said during an interview on RMC radio. That rate is currently “low,” he said.

The producer’s nuclear availability rate has dropped to 80 percent, a level that is “not normal” and caused not only by technical issues but EDF’s maintenance schedule, Prime Minister Francois Fillon was quoted as saying in an interview today with Le Monde newspaper.

EDF, GDF Suez SA and other French utilities may have to import more power in the next three months because the balance between supply and demand has become “significantly less favorable,” France’s grid operator Reseau de Transport d’Electricite, said last week. The availability of France’s power generating fleet is expected to be “significantly lower” that last winter, the grid operator said.

State-controlled EDF, operator of the country’s 58 nuclear reactors, has had to rely increasingly in past years on power imports to meet peak demand during cold snaps and heat waves.

The utility should have made more provisions in past years to “accelerate spending” on reactor maintenance, Borloo said.

EDF halted three French reactors and started five others, boosting available generation to 74 percent from 72 percent last week. Labor action at several plants earlier this year has also slowed maintenance.

Power Imports

French companies may import as much as 4,000 megawatts of power “for several weeks” from the middle of November if temperatures stay at the seasonal average. Imports could rise to 9,000 megawatts in the event of a sustained cold snap and the grid may have to resort to load shedding, according to RTE.

French power utilities usually import supplies in the winter months because they don’t have enough generation capacity to meet peak demand. The grid also warned of a “moderate” risk of power cuts.

EDF last month said it would fix a defect at back-up generators at 15 reactors during regular maintenance and has also had to repair steam generators at 16 reactors.

The company raised 1 billion euros in French bonds in June to help finance a 7.5 billion-euro ($11 billion) investment plan in France this year to pay in part for work aimed at extending the lifetime of reactors.

EDF ran its reactors at an availability rate of 79.2 percent last year, compared with 80.2 percent in 2007 and 83.6 percent in 2006. The utility said today it is seeking to raise the rate to 81 percent this year and 85 percent by 2011.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tara Patel in Paris at tpatel2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 5, 2009 04:40 EST