What form will any gas cuts take this winter?
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In partnership with representatives of the sectors concerned, the government is working out the details of the responses to be made in the event of supply problems.
Russia which suspendscompletely» its gas deliveries on one side, but fuller stocks than expected from the other; in a context of tensions on the gas market, France is heading into winter with contradictory feelings. After being subject to multiple conjectures, a consensus seems to be forming between experts and the government on the effects of the energy crisis for the country. Concretely, France risks having to deal with cuts, although limited, but above all they should only concern professionals and not households which could manage to heat themselves without difficulty. This does not dispense with making efforts to limit consumption warn the government.
At the beginning of September, the government’s project to get through the coldest months as well as possible is beginning to take shape. “Only the most gas-consuming companies could be affected“, Details a source close to the file contacted by Le Figaro. A targeted effort therefore, which does not satisfy the first concerned: “There is no reason that it should only be the gas-intensive sectors that are affected. Everyone has to make an effort“, thunders Paul-Antoine Lacour, general delegate of Copacel, the professional organization representing the French paper industry, which consumes a lot of gas.
Set priorities
The number of sites concerned could still be reduced, because even among large consumers, the sectors classified as priority will be spared by its supply disruptions. “In any case, consumers carrying out missions of general interest linked to the satisfaction of the essential needs of the nation will not be concerned.“, reassures a source close to the file.
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A difference in treatment which is not disputed by the manufacturers, nevertheless the definition of priority raises questions. “It is normal that the food is not cut but if those who manufacture the packaging are, it comes down to the same blockage», Note, concerned, Paul-Antoine Lacour. Ditto, in a production chain very divided between multiple actors, a stoppage of production for one can create a bottleneck and cause identical problems for others: “the weight of the impact downstream must also be taken into account“Warns Fabrice Alexandre, spokesperson for Uniden (Union of energy-using industries).
More generally, the representatives of the sectors concerned hope that these cuts will take into account the specificities of each site in order to avoid as much as possible having to close production sites. Because gas cuts will not take the same form as electricity cuts. If the seconds will be rotating between many actors but will only last a few hours, the first, on the other hand, “will be focused on specific points and the duration will depend on the need but it is more of the order of a few days“Always according to a source familiar with the matter.
Details to be determined
Nevertheless, discussions are still ongoing between the executive and potentially affected sectors. The manufacturers have been informedplanned measuresto deal with the energy crisis, explains the office of Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister for Energy Transition. A meeting was held on August 4 and anotherwill take place at the beginning of September“, he adds.
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If the government has to prepare a response in the event of a dark scenario, the anticipated measures may never be implemented. On the one hand, the meteorological conditions could make it possible not to have excessive recourse to heating (in the event of a mild winter), on the other hand, manufacturers could greatly reduce their consumption for reasons of competitiveness. The price of gas has been experiencing an unprecedented surge for several months. Some groups have already announced reductions in production or even partial closures, such as Duralex or Bow. A trend that makes the Uniden spokesperson say that “the government is asking for a 10% reduction in consumption, it would not be surprising if we are already there“.
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