GRTgaz, the entity responsible for managing France’s gas transport network, announced on Friday that the country no longer receives natural gas from Russia. Rather than speculating about potential disruptions, the company highlighted a rebound in energy supplies from Spain following the end of supply from Germany.
In the first five months of the year, gas flow from Germany to France had fallen by more than 60 percent on a year-over-year basis. At the start of the year, volumes were around 60 gigawatt hours, roughly 10 percent of the capacity allocated for such facilities, underscoring a substantial shift in supply routes and energy mix.
France, however, does not anticipate an adverse impact, largely due to a stronger inflow of oil-linked LNG and the initiation of new projects. The company reported that its gas reserves were about 56 percent replenished and that summer demand would be tempered by lower consumption. This resilience is framed within a broader strategy to diversify sources and increase storage readiness.
Another route that France is counting on is the Pyrenees interconnection, running from Spain to the north. Since March 1, flows under this corridor have climbed beyond 100 gigawatt hours, with daily peaks reaching 220 gigawatt hours on certain days in May, according to GRTgaz. This uptick reflects both improved interconnections and a more flexible supply system to weather potential shocks.
The company remains appropriately alert for the second half of the year and a possibly normal winter. It asserts that the balance between gas supply and demand would be preserved even in the event of a complete cutoff from Russia. Yet, in cases of peak demand or late cold snaps, it would still be necessary to activate measures to reduce consumption or implement demand-side interventions that could allow certain customers to reduce usage or temporarily stop gas flows.
GRTgaz did not explicitly address the reasons behind Russia’s decision to terminate supply. Nonetheless, this week Gazprom confirmed a significant disruption in supply through the Nord Stream gas pipeline, a key conduit to Germany and, by extension, to the broader European gas market.
cut to italy
Italy is also feeling the effects of these cuts. The company Width stated on Friday that it would receive only about half of its contracted volumes. Both Gazprom and the Russian government deny these reductions are driven by political motives, citing technical issues as the primary cause.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi commented on Thursday that such explanations from Kiev were not credible, suggesting Moscow has used gas as a political instrument. Russia is already directing foreign customers from countries it labels as enemy to comply with a ruble-based payment system for gas deliveries, a move that raises questions about the reliability of long-term contracts and the stability of energy supply in Europe.