The “deal” signed between France and Germany on gas supply is about to materialize. The solidarity agreement, announced on September 5 by Emmanuel Macron and intended to strengthen the energy security of the two countries, must result, from the week of October 10, in the first deliveries of gas across the Rhine. In addition, all that is missing is the completion of work on the only existing interconnection point, in Moselle, the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) announced on Thursday.
To deliver this gas, the French network operator GRTgaz “must quickly make technical adaptations” to the Obergailbach (Moselle) interconnection point, which to date can only operate in the Germany – France direction.
Then, GRTgaz proposes to market this capacity of 100 GWh/d (gigawatt hour) in the form of a daily product, reservable from one day to the next day, according to CRE.
Paris has undertaken to strengthen its gas interconnection with Germany to be able to deliver gas to it in anticipation of winter 2022/2023 and to help compensate for the drop in Russian gas deliveries. Conversely, Berlin “will put itself in a position to produce more electricity and to bring us (in) in peak situations”, declared Emmanuel Macron.
The interconnection tariff to be set
However, it was the energy situation in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, that was of primary concern. The complete shutdown of the NordStream 1 gas pipeline in September further strained the situation. Across the Rhine, while prices are soaring, fueling record inflation (+7.9% in August), the government is trying to provide answers.
In this context, France had announced that it was able to send a maximum of the equivalent of 5% of its gas consumption to Germany in winter in the event of a shortage, according to the cabinet of the Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier. -Runcher.
The first delivery in October more or less corresponds to the estimates given by the ministry, which indicated that France would be able to deliver 130 gigawatt hours per day to Germany, or the equivalent of 20 terawatt hours over a winter, using its network of terrestrial interconnection. This represents around 2% of German consumption.
It remains, in the case of the connection with the Moselle to set an interconnection tariff, indicates the CRE, which is launching a public consultation until September 27 on the commercial offer and the proposed tariff.
For the time being, CRE “welcomes the technical efforts made by GRTgaz as well as the progress of joint work between GRTgaz and its German counterparts”, stressing that “this work will enable the rapid implementation of a flow of gas to Germany”.
(With AFP)