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ENERGY

France to boost gas exports to Germany from mid-October

New capacity for gas exports from France to Germany will be available from mid-October, France's gas network operator said Wednesday, as Europe's energy system is rejigged following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

France to boost gas exports to Germany from mid-October
Ingoing and outgoing gaz pipelines at a GRTgaz compressor station, in Morelmaison,eastern France on March 29, 2013 (Photo by JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN / AFP)

“Historic gas flows from the east have been reversed under the effect of the war in Ukraine,” operator GRTgaz said in a statement, adding that the firm “is working on adapting its network to develop new capacity for export from France to Germany, which will be available from mid-October.”

“Historic gas flows from the east have been reversed under the effect of the war in Ukraine,” operator GRTgaz said in a statement.

It added that the firm “is working on adapting its network to develop new capacity for export from France to Germany, which will be available from mid-October.”

GRTgaz said France’s terminals for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) were operating at 90 percent capacity, helping to fill the country’s reserves to 94 percent — around ten points higher than the European average.

In a “normal” winter, there would be “no shortage of gas”, the company said — while warning that “there is little room for manoeuvre, especially on days of especially high consumption”.

And in the case of a “very cold” winter, GRTgaz expects a shortfall in gas supply of around five percent, a level it said “can be absorbed by reaching the energy saving objectives set by the authorities”.

It encouraged households to follow advice to turn down their heating by one degree Celsius.

“As a last resort, load-shedding targeting major consumers could protect residential customers in extreme situations that are very unlikely to occur,” the operator said.

The announcement came alongside Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne’s conference discussing the government’s plans for helping the country cope with surging energy costs this winter, caused by disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

READ MORE: LATEST: France announces 15 percent gas and electricity price rises for 2023

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POLITICS

New Caledonia airport to reopen Monday, curfew reduced: authorities

New Caledonia's main international airport will reopen from Monday after being shut last month during a spate of deadly unrest, the high commission in the French Pacific territory said, adding a curfew would also be reduced.

New Caledonia airport to reopen Monday, curfew reduced: authorities

The commission said Sunday that it had “decided to reopen the airport during the day” and to “push back to 8:00 pm (from 6:00 pm) the start of the curfew as of Monday”.

The measures had been introduced after violence broke out on May 13 over a controversial voting reform that would have allowed long-term residents to participate in local polls.

The archipelago’s Indigenous Kanaks feared the move would dilute their vote, putting hopes for eventually winning independence definitively out of reach.

READ ALSO: Explained: What’s behind the violence on French island of New Caledonia?

Barricades, skirmishes with the police and looting left nine dead and hundreds injured, and inflicted hundreds of millions of euros in damage.

The full resumption of flights at Tontouta airport was made possible by the reopening of an expressway linking it to the capital Noumea that had been blocked by demonstrators, the commission said.

Previously the airport was only handling a small number of flights with special exemptions.

Meanwhile, the curfew, which runs until 6:00 am, was reduced “in light of the improvement in the situation and in order to facilitate the gradual return to normal life”, the commission added.

French President Emmanuel Macron had announced on Wednesday that the voting reform that touched off the unrest would be “suspended” in light of snap parliamentary polls.

Instead he aimed to “give full voice to local dialogue and the restoration of order”, he told reporters.

Although approved by both France’s National Assembly and Senate, the reform had been waiting on a constitutional congress of both houses to become part of the basic law.

Caledonian pro-independence movements had already considered reform dead given Macron’s call for snap elections.

“This should be a time for rebuilding peace and social ties,” the Kanak Liberation Party (Palika) said Wednesday before the announcement.

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