In unusual unity, the leaders of the three major French energy companies have appealed to citizens and companies to limit the consumption of electricity, oil and gas “immediately”. “The effort must be immediate, collective and massive. Every gesture counts,” wrote the CEOs of Totalenergies (formerly Total), EDF and Engie in a guest post in the Journal du Dimanche. They warn that the rise in energy prices is threatening “social and political cohesion” and is having “serious effects” on families’ purchasing power.
“For several months now, the European energy system has been under severe tension,” stress the usually competing heads of Totalenergies, EDF and Engie. However, this is not only due to the reduced pipeline deliveries of Russian gas, which the increased import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) “today” cannot compensate for. Europe’s controllable power generation capacities are also “strained” due to national measures or maintenance work, and weather conditions and droughts also affect hydropower production. A “major program for energy efficiency and a nationwide hunt for waste” is therefore necessary. Because “the best energy is the one that we don’t use”.
Coal-fired power plants could be ramped up again
France has not received any pipeline gas directly from Russia since mid-June, but at best via detours or LNG terminals. But the government had recently repeatedly emphasized that the supply was secure: on the one hand, because 17 percent less gas was of Russian origin than in Germany or Italy, for example. Secondly, because France has four LNG import terminals, one near Dunkirk on the English Channel, one in Montoir-de-Bretagne on the Atlantic coast and two in Fos-sur-Mer on the Côte d’Azur. Recently, more and more LNG was obtained from it and pumped into storage.
“In a scenario where Russian gas supplies shut down tomorrow, we could get through next winter (with normal seasonal weather conditions) by mobilizing our already built storage facilities, our LNG import capacities and by implementing an energy saving plan to optimize our consumption,” The French Ministry of Energy informed the FAZ – and at the same time confirmed reports on Sunday that the shut down coal-fired power plant in Saint-Avold near the Saarland border could be restarted next winter.