French gas operators say supplies sufficient for harsh winter

France will have enough gas
supplies for the winter even in the event of severe cold
weather, operators GRTgaz and Terega said on Monday, in a
further indication that Europe’s second-biggest economy has
managed to diversify its sources from Russia.
But ensuring sufficient supplies will require substantial
imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and further imports from
Spain, coupled with smart storage management and relatively low
consumption levels on par with last year’s, the operators said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which led to Europe cutting
most energy ties with Moscow, caused serious fears about
France’s gas supplies last winter. Savings efforts enforced by
the government, along with mild weather and high prices in 2022
helped reduce gas use by 9.3%.