French government spokesman Olivier Veran announced the measures taken by the authorities to counter the situation in the energy sector, which he described as extremely tense, Reuters reported.
“France is facing a situation of unprecedented energy tensions,” Véran said at a briefing in Paris on Friday.
The reasons for this, according to him, are the reduction in Russian gas supplies and the reduction in the possibility of supplying Russian oil until the end of the year due to the European embargo. In addition, there are difficulties caused by repair work at nuclear power plants.
“The government is, of course, taking precautionary measures and activating all the levers at its disposal to secure our energy supply as much as possible,” the official said.
He gave several examples. In particular, this is an increase in the capacity of marine terminals to receive LNG and the construction of a new terminal near Le Havre for gas tankers. It is also about diversifying gas and oil supply sources to reduce dependence on Russia.
Accelerated and full loading of gas storage facilities is envisaged. Veran specified that the task is to fill them by 85% by the end of the summer, but the authorities will strive for 100% filling. The government is also busy with repair programs for nuclear power plant reactors. Renewable energy production projects are unlocked, which can be quickly implemented.
The government spokesman also listed “intensification of energy saving efforts, starting, of course, with the state, but which should affect everyone,” among the measures taken.