Will France have to compose without Russian gas next winter? If we are to believe the words of the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, at the microphone of Europe 1 on Tuesday, “we must anticipate a possible interruption of delivery”. “We need to have substitution mechanisms for our supplies and save money,” she said.
Can we do without Russian gas?
But does France have the means to do without Russian gas? Yes, according to the Minister. “We have the means if we organize ourselves as far upstream as possible. This is why we have, in the purchasing power law, taken very strong measures such as installing a floating LNG terminal at the wide of Le Havre, to be able to reactivate our coal-fired power plant in Saint-Avold (Moselle)”, which closed in March 2022, she specifies. The executive also wants to use the Cordemais coal-fired power plant in Loire-Atlantique.
Among the other emergency measures to ensure security of energy supply from the fall, the government plans to organize load shedding and filling of gas storage.
Energy rationing?
So, will there be a possibility of energy rationing in France? “In the system we have, these are escalation steps towards a scenario of supply difficulties. The first step is the energy savings that we put in place. These energy savings, they are good for the portfolio of companies, administrations and the French, and they are good for the energy transition, the fight against global warming”, assured Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
“I think that no one disputes anymore, after these various episodes of heat wave, that we are in a fundamental transformation of our climate”, she added before describing the other climbing steps.
“The second step is to negotiate with companies, in return for payment, so that they reduce their energy consumption or completely stop their production. The third step consists, for example, in lowering the voltage on the networks. And the fourth walking consists of agreeing with companies and asking them to stop their production, but it will not be for remuneration. So you have several ways to manage these difficulties”, she wishes to reassure.