The Defense Council, known to the French for having met more than a hundred times during the coronavirus epidemic, made its big comeback this Friday, this time devoted to the question of energy.
Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions triggered by the war in Ukraine, the purpose of this body was to "
take stock of the progress of the work undertaken before the summer
" and to "
define the next steps
", within the framework of the “
general mobilization
”, announced by the President of the Republic on July 14.
At the end of this Council, the Minister for Energy Transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher specified that “
proportionate and reasonable collective efforts
” could be requested, but that “
the State will play its part and be exemplary
”.
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Wanting to be reassuring, Agnès Pannier-Runacher said at the end of this Council that “
the government has anticipated the situation for several months
”, and that French gas stocks are 92% full.
"
We are almost at the target with two months in advance
", welcomes the Minister, because "
our LNG terminals are running at full speed
".
While 32 French nuclear reactors are currently shut down, the Minister specified that these closures were due to "
corrosion under stress
" as well as "
usual maintenance
", but that EDF had "
undertaken to restart all the reactors for this winter
".
According to her, the government will be “
particularly vigilant that this schedule is kept
”.
“
Sobriety chosen to avoid cuts suffered
”
Recalling the various measures put in place, such as the diversification of gas supplies thanks to European solidarity as well as the energy restraint plan launched by the Prime Minister, the Minister specified that Russian gas deliveries were currently "
at most low
", but "
not cut
".
The energy sobriety plan that will be put in place will involve a 10% reduction in French energy consumption, but will not ask “
companies to lower their production or their activity
”.
It is a question of setting up a “
chosen sobriety to avoid the cuts suffered
”.
Measures to “
hunt waste
” are “
essential so as not to have to put in place more restrictive measures
”, specifies the minister.