France Warns Of Energy Shortages In Winter As Russia Reduces Gas Exports
Moscow has slashed its exports to Europe in response to punishing Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, forcing countries to scramble for alternatives.
The French government warned Wednesday that companies might have to reduce energy use this winter even with the country's natural gas reserves at full capacity, as Russia continues to reduce its gas exports to Europe.
"The main players, government agencies and businesses, must reduce their consumption" of gas as well as electricity, because "the two systems are linked," Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told CNews television.
Moscow has slashed its exports to Europe in response to punishing Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, forcing countries to scramble for alternatives.
Even though France is less reliant on Russian supplies than other EU countries, generating around three-quarters of its electricity from nuclear power plants, its industrial sector still relies on gas and millions of people use it to heat their homes.
Winter shortfalls will be a risk even though France is racing to top up its gas reserves.
"Right now our strategic gas reserves are at 80 percent capacity... which means we will reach our goal of 100 percent before November 1," Pannier-Runacher said.
But she later insisted on RMC radio that full stocks might not be enough to avoid gas cuts as the government seeks alternative sources.
"It's not so simple... We might have a particularly cold day and because of the size of the pipelines, we can't pump all of the gas we have," she said.
And France is also facing a winter with fewer of its nuclear plants online because of either maintenance or safety concerns, meaning that electricity supplies could be strained.
"We are counting on solidarity, notably with Germany, to import electricity," she said. "And we need to support Germany with the gas we import via our liquefied natural gas terminals."
"The main players, government agencies and businesses, must reduce their consumption" of gas as well as electricity, because "the two systems are linked," Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told CNews television.
Moscow has slashed its exports to Europe in response to punishing Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, forcing countries to scramble for alternatives.
Even though France is less reliant on Russian supplies than other EU countries, generating around three-quarters of its electricity from nuclear power plants, its industrial sector still relies on gas and millions of people use it to heat their homes.
Winter shortfalls will be a risk even though France is racing to top up its gas reserves.
"Right now our strategic gas reserves are at 80 percent capacity... which means we will reach our goal of 100 percent before November 1," Pannier-Runacher said.
But she later insisted on RMC radio that full stocks might not be enough to avoid gas cuts as the government seeks alternative sources.
"It's not so simple... We might have a particularly cold day and because of the size of the pipelines, we can't pump all of the gas we have," she said.
And France is also facing a winter with fewer of its nuclear plants online because of either maintenance or safety concerns, meaning that electricity supplies could be strained.
"We are counting on solidarity, notably with Germany, to import electricity," she said. "And we need to support Germany with the gas we import via our liquefied natural gas terminals."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.