France starts exporting gas to Germany amid energy crisis

Paris, October 13

France has for the first time started exporting natural gas to Germany, French gas network operator GRTgaz said on Thursday, as Berlin strives to diversify its energy supply following the interruption of Russian gas deliveries.

GRTgaz said in a statement the gas pipeline connecting both countries at the French border village of Obergailbach had begun delivering an initial daily capacity of 31 gigawatt-hours.

War effect

• France has begun delivering an initial daily capacity of 31 gigawatt-hours to Germany
• This is expected to increase to a daily maximum of 100 gigawatt-hours
• Europe seeks to diversify gas imports after Russia choked off supplies of natural gas

This is expected to eventually increase to a daily maximum of 100 gigawatt-hours, representing less than 2 per cent of Germany’s overall gas consumption, according to figures from the French Ministry for Energy Transition.

The head of Germany’s network regulatory agency, Klaus Mueller, thanked GRTgaz in French in a tweet on Thursday, adding that “French gas deliveries via Saarland help Germany’s supply security”. Although Germany’s gas storage facilities are now nearly 95 per cent full, officials say citizens will still need to save gas this winter.

The move comes as Germany and other European countries seek to diversify gas imports after Russia choked off the supplies of cheap natural gas that the continent depended on for years to run factories, generate electricity and heat homes.

France would help Germany with gas supply, while Germany would generate more electricity to supply France during times of peak consumption. — AP