AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France — French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned today that there is a strong possibility that Moscow will completely cut off gas supplies to Europe.
“Let’s prepare for a complete shutdown of Russian gas; today it is the most likely option,” Le Maire told Rencontres Economiques, an economy-focused event in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence.
The minister said the French government is working to identify companies that should receive priority protection in the event of supply disruptions.
“You also have to prepare load shedding plans, we are doing that,” he told reporters later. “That means looking very specifically at every company, every line of work; Which companies should reduce their energy consumption and which ones can’t.”
Le Maire pointed to Saint-Gobain, a major producer of construction materials, as an example of companies that should not be deprived of gas supplies, even in an emergency. He pointed to possible damage to production equipment and the risk of environmental consequences.
“We have to anticipate and put ourselves in battle from now on,” he said.
The French government has proposed a series of measures to deal with possible gas disruptions, including giving itself the power to requisition gas-fired power plants as part of a wider “purchasing power” legislative proposal. The bill will be debated in France’s National Assembly next week.
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