France to supply excess gas to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland

By Shweta Desai

PARIS (AA) - France will supply excess gas from its storage to the neighboring countries of Germany, Belgium, and Switzerland, while Berlin will help Paris with its electricity needs, the French energy minister announced Wednesday as Europe stares at a difficult winter due to possible disruptions of gas supplies from Russia.

"French vulnerability is electricity, and on the German side it is gas," Agnes Pannier-Runacher told LCI-TF1 News on the morning show.

As part of solidarity in the 27-nation regional block, the minister said, France will produce electricity with the help of Germany, and it will supply gas to the three countries.

France has secured its gas storage from Qatar and other countries that are willing to supply from pipelines via Norway. Currently, its gas reserve is at 75% – higher than the 50% recommendation by the EU – and it aims to reach 100% capacity by November, Pannier-Runacher said.

Last week, Paris struck a landmark strategic energy cooperation deal with the United Arab Emirates.

It will also host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later this week to secure its fuel and gas supplies, as it moves to attain energy independence from Russia.

Along with additional energy supplies from different countries, Paris has embarked on an energy sobriety project to encourage lesser consumption in households and businesses. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called on the ministers in her Cabinet to lead by example and save energy.

On the European agreement on reducing gas consumption of member states by 15% adopted on Tuesday, the French energy minister said Russian President Vladimir Putin "is facing a wall of solidarity" and that Europeans are united to face the disruptions.