Overview
- RTE confirmed a single incident at the 225 kV Squividan substation on June 23 that involved two measuring devices and prompted concern about equipment failure.
- Maintenance representatives formally exercised their droit d'alerte at a special CSE on June 29 to demand immediate safety measures and a national inventory of at‑risk devices.
- Union engineers say extreme heat can cause condensation at the head of measuring devices, degrading insulation, producing electrical arcs and making units explode; they estimate about 500–550 similar devices across France.
- RTE says no injuries or fires have been recorded, that protections and 24/7 surveillance allow preventive disconnection, and that affected device types now face reinforced monitoring and safety instructions.
- Workers want risky units identified, safety perimeters set, and defective devices replaced or de‑energized, a push that could speed mapping and targeted upgrades ahead of RTE’s longer‑term €24 billion adaptation plan to 2040.