Published on : 10/07/2022 – 19:04
Aix-en-Provence (AFP) – The government called on Sunday to “quickly get into battle order” to deal with the possibility of a total cut in Russian gas supplies, “the most likely option” according to Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.
“Let’s prepare for the total cut off of Russian gas, this is today the most probable option. This supposes that we accelerate our energy independence”, pleaded during the Economic Meetings of Aix-en-Provence the number 2 of the French government, which wants to take advantage of the summer to “get into battle order” before winter.
“We are fiercely independent. The first independence must be energy,” he hammered in Aix.
In terms of supply, “we can have tensions over gas this winter”, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne had warned on Saturday during a meeting with the press.
To avoid shortages, the government has asked for the national gas storage capacities to be filled to “nearly 100%” by the beginning of the fall.
“On electricity, normally, according to EDF’s projections, we should have higher production as and when” the twelve reactors (out of 56) currently shut down for corrosion will restart, said Saturday Ms. Borne .
But if electricity were to run out, the government is preparing for the winter a series of measures intended to prioritize households and certain industries.
“Obviously we preserve households and (…) we do not cut factories or public transport”, detailed Ms. Borne on Saturday.
“We must now put ourselves in battle order on the organization, load shedding, sobriety, reduction of consumption … it is now that we must make the decisions”, echoed the Minister of the Economy. .
Distribute the effort
Thus certain industrial sites could be asked to “slow down their energy consumption, or even stop their energy consumption for a certain time”, explained Mr. Le Maire, while specifying that “it is totally impossible” for certain sites, so as not to “break the industrial tool”.
Faced with the risk that Vladimir Putin will cut off the gas tap to Europe, “a credible option” said Bruno Le Maire in an interview with LCI on the sidelines of the Aix Meetings, we must “anticipate the consequences”.
France, which says it is in a more “favorable” situation than its neighbours, must in particular acquire a new floating LNG terminal next year to ensure its supply.
“We must distribute the effort between administrations, individuals and companies”, explained Bruno Le Maire.
The government has also launched three working groups to improve energy sobriety in the administration, businesses and establishments open to the public. The objective is to establish a roadmap to reduce energy consumption by 10% within two years compared to 2019.
“It’s a matter of several months, but (it) must also lead us to take a certain number of investment decisions and to show imagination. France is extraordinarily imaginative, creative in terms of energy”, a supported Bruno Le Maire on LCI.
The risk of energy shortages does not stop at the French borders, as the President of the European Commission called on the 27 Member States of the European Union on Wednesday to “prepare for further disruptions in the supply of gas, or even a complete cut off from Russia.”
Germany, otherwise more dependent on Russian gas than France, is already on the alert. The Bundestag has adopted a savings plan: more heating above 20 degrees in winter and more hot water in individual offices, for example.
© 2022 AFP