The energy crisis that is plaguing Europe has allowed an unprecedented event this Thursday. For the first time, France has started to send gas directly to Germany, according to the French network operator GRTgaz. "It's historic," said Thierry Trouve, CEO of GRTgaz. The flows have started at 6 in the morning.
The only interconnection point on the Franco-German border (linking Obergailbach and Medelsheim) was originally conceived to work in the Germany-France direction, allowing shipments from Russia. Now they can go in the opposite direction after completing the works that have made it possible to reverse the flows that went to the west.
Amid the energy crisis, which is already plunging Germany into recession, the flow fulfills a commitment from Paris to help alleviate gas shortages in Germany following the reduction in Russian supply, while Berlin helps France cope with its deficit in electricity production due to the stoppage of nuclear power plants. As part of the deal, Germany agreed to postpone the shutdown of two of its three remaining reactors beyond the end of the year.
Berlin lacks gas, on which it depends to run its factories, its economic backbone. France has more than its neighbor because it benefits from supplies from Norway and the entry of liquefied natural gas, mainly from the United States, thanks to its network of regasification plants. This has partly allowed him to fill his reserves to 100% for the winter.
Until now shipments had been made through Belgium. "GRTgaz has mobilized to adapt its network and formalize a proposal to commercialize gas transport capacity from France to Germany," it says in a statement. At the moment, a tender has been opened for a capacity of 31 gigawatt hours per day. The figure may triple in the near future. The gas that is sent has forced the German regulation to be adapted to accept French gas, whose peculiarity is that it is odorized, with a sulfur content, which is not usual for German industry.
Looking ahead, "in the event of a normal winter, we are reasonably optimistic about our ability to meet demand in France, support power generation and ensure European solidarity," Trouve said. It would also be feasible in a cold winter if users moderate their consumption, he added.
