France starts sending gas directly to Germany

France has started sending gas directly to Germany for the first time on Thursday, French gas network operator GRTgaz said. It comes as Berlin strives to diversify its energy supply following the interruption of Russian gas deliveries. GRTgaz said the gas pipeline connecting both countries at the French border village of Obergailbach has begun delivering an initial daily capacity of 31 gigawatt-hours.

The amount is expected to eventually increase to a daily maximum of 100 gigawatt-hours, representing less than two per cent of Germany’s overall gas consumption, according to figures from the French Ministry for Energy Transition. 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. French President Emmanuel Macron announced last month that France and Germany agreed to an energy solidarity deal.

The French government has expressed concerns over potential electricity shortages during the winter as 25 of France’s 56 nuclear reactors are now shut down for usual maintenance and, in some cases, to repair corrosion problems.