Over 1 million pilgrims benefit from golf cart service at Grand Mosque during Ramadan    Visitors welcomed with Eid initiative at Thee Ain Heritage Village in Al-Baha    Tebuk emir reviews rain response in Tayma    Saudi Arabia considers rent cap as part of major real estate reforms    Messi's bodyguard banned from touchline at Inter Miami games    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Le Pen vows to appeal political ban, calls verdict a 'denial of democracy'    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 2,719 as rescue efforts continue    Russia, Ukraine trade blame over new energy strikes    Putin orders Russia's largest military call-up in over a decade    Albania hosts MWL chief for Eid sermon at largest mosque in the Balkans    Haramain High-Speed Railway transports over 1.2 million passengers during Ramadan    Saudi Transport Authority says passengers can ride for free if taxi meters are off    Ministry of Education forms 425 community partnerships with SR653 million impact    Mexico bans junk food in schools to fight childhood obesity epidemic    Sweet sales surge ahead of Eid as Saudi chocolate imports top 123 million kg in 2024    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Electricity supplies to some French companies could be cut due to energy disruption, minister says
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 07 - 2022

The French government is working on "load-shedding plans" that could see electricity and gas supplies reduced for some companies over the winter, Economy Minister Bruno le Maire confirmed on Sunday, warning that Russia is highly likely to turn off the tap.
"Let's prepare for a total cut-off of Russian gas. This is now the most likely option," Le Maire told attendees at the Rencontres Economiques in Aix-en-Provence. This means that "you also have to prepare load-shedding plans, we are doing it."
"It means looking in a very specific way at each company, each employment area; which are the companies that should reduce their energy consumption and which are the ones that cannot," he told reporters.
Some companies could therefore be asked to "slow down their energy consumption, or even stop their energy consumption for a certain period of time" while it would be "totally impossible" for others to do so without triggering wider industrial repercussions," he explained.
Preparing these plans, he then told LCI, is "all the more" necessary given France has "an electricity production this year which is particularly low — eight (nuclear) reactors are shut down today — so it is imperative that we put ourselves now, and I mean now, in battle order."
The contingency plans are being developed by Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher with President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne set to "decide in the coming weeks," Le Maire said.
But, he emphasized, "the effort has to be shared between the administration, private individuals and companies" and "sobriety in our behavior, sobriety in our energy expenditure" will be key.
For the minister, the "credible" scenario of Russia completely cutting off energy supplies to the European Union is the impetus the bloc needs to accelerate work towards "energy independence".
France, he said, should focus on replenishing its stocks and "build a floating LNG barge off Le Havre in a short time", speed up the development of renewable energies and build new nuclear reactors.
"Let us be imaginative. Let's look at what we can do about the development of biogas and alternative energies. Let's remove the regulatory obstacles to all these energies that we need.
"And here again, let's not be impressed by the nonsense of all those who want to systematically prevent the development of these energies.
"Because they are not the ones who will have explained to the French that they can no longer heat themselves or light themselves properly next winter, it's us," he said.
Russian pressure
His comments came a day before Nord Stream 1, the pipeline that delivers over a third of the EU's imports of Russian gas, shut down for 10 days for maintenance work.
Many fear that Moscow might say it needs more time to carry out the work in order to exert further pressure on the 27 countries that are grappling with a cost of living crisis fuelled by a sharp rise in energy prices over the previous few months.
Last week, a Russian court ordered the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which carries oil from Kazakhstan to the Black Sea through Russian territory, to suspend operations for 30 days citing violations of environmental requirements.
This came shortly after Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan president, assured EU Council President Charles Michel, that his country was ready to send more oil to the EU.
The bloc has imposed six rounds of sanctions against Moscow since it launched its invasion on Feb. 24 with the aim of crippling the Kremlin's ability to wage war in Ukraine. These include coal and oil embargoes — the latter of which should result in imports from Russia being slashed by about 90% by the end of the year.
EU emergency plan coming
Russian gas, however, has largely been let off the hook although Brussels has pledged to reduce imports by two-thirds by the end of the year.
The main problem for the EU is that unlike Russian oil, which mostly makes its way into the EU on board ships, gas from Russia is primarily delivered by pipeline and the infrastructure to secure alternative supplies — such as LNG terminals — is lacking.
Moscow knows that and is already exerting pressure on 12 member states to which it has partially or completely cut off supplies as the EU frantically tries to fill gas storage to at least 80% of capacity before cold temperatures return in a bid to ensure decent supplies over the winter and to keep prices down.
France is not the only country working on such load-sharing plans. Germany has also admitted to doing so.
Brussels, meanwhile, is working on an Emergency Energy Reduction Plan that is expected to be unveiled on July 20 to address potential supply disruptions over the coming months. Among the measures it has been tasked with looking into by leaders is the feasibility of price caps for oil and gas.
The Commission has already said it stands ready to operate joint purchases of gas using the same model it came up with to secure COVID-19 vaccines for the bloc.
It is also believed to be working on coordinating the various load-sharing plans from member states. — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.