Aug 30, 2022
Europe’s energy crisis escalated as Russian natural-gas giant Gazprom PJSC said it will halt supplies to French utility Engie SA because of a disagreement over payments.
Gazprom has notified Engie about a full cutoff of gas from Sept. 1 as the utility hasn’t paid in full for July deliveries, the Russian gas producer said in a statement.
Earlier, Gazprom said it would reduce gas supplies starting Tuesday. It also plans to shut the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany for three days of maintenance beginning Wednesday.
Moscow has progressively choked shipments of the fuel to Europe in retaliation for sanctions related to its invasion of Ukraine.
The cutbacks, which have so far mostly targeted Germany and eastern Europe, have plunged the continent into its worst energy crisis in 50 years, sending prices soaring amid concerns about supply shortages during the coming winter.
“We’re getting ready for the worst-case scenario, which is a complete cut-off,” French Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told France Inter radio when asked about Engie on Tuesday, before Gazprom’s announcement of a total halt to gas deliveries. She reiterated that Russia was using gas as a weapon of war.
“Very clearly Russia is using gas as a weapon of war and we must prepare for the worst case scenario of a complete interruption of supplies,” France’s Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told France Inter radio.
Russian gas deliveries to Engie have fallen to only 1.5 terawatt hours per month, Engie said. In 2021, Gazprom supplied 121 TWh of gas to Engie.
“Russia is using gas as a weapon of war,” Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the energy transition minister, told France Inter radio.
Engie is holding talks with Algeria’s Sonatrach on alternatives to Russian gas.
President Emmanuel Macron plans to summon the country’s Defense Council on Friday to tackle gas and electricity supplies, AFP reported.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne urged businesses on Monday to cut energy use cut this winter if Russia halts gas deliveries.
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