Russia’s Gazprom will continue cutting Engie’s gas supplies over contract disputes, France’s top gas supplier said Tuesday.
Russian gas supplies to Engie have declined significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine on Feb. 24, recently falling to 1.5 terawatt hours (TWh), the French company said in a statement, quoted by the AFP news agency.
This figure should be seen in the context of “over 400 TWh of total annual supplies to Europe,” Angy added, in which the French state owns almost 24%.
The group said it has already taken steps to be able to supply its customers even if Gazprom’s flows stop.
“Engie has already secured the volumes needed to supply its customers and for its own needs,” the company said.
Last Thursday, France’s gas stockpiles exceeded the 90% winter fill limit, according to the European Consolidated Register of Gas Storages (AGSI) platform, and are on track to meet the 100% target by November, according to AFP.
Government spokesman Olivier Véran confirmed on Franceinfo radio today that the target would be reached “by the end of the summer,” but warned that this did not mean that France would have enough gas to survive the winter if the Russians turned it off and if consumption was high.
In late July, Engie said it had significantly reduced its “financial and physical dependence on Russian gas,” which already accounts for only about 4% of its supplies.
“It’s completely within the flexibility of our portfolio, so we’re not worried at all,” said Engie’s executive chairman Katherine McGregor.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Russia has responded to Western sanctions by cutting off gas supplies, citing technical problems or changes in agreements regarding payment in the Russian currency, rubles.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
