France has started supplying natural gas to Germany after making technical adjustments to the pipeline connecting the neighbours, French transmission system operator GRTgaz said on Thursday, as Russia's war on Ukraine reshapes Europe's energy sector.
Gas is now flowing directly through the only gas interconnection point between the two countries near the village of Niedergailbach, in south-western Germany, GRTgaz said in Paris.
"In a novel energy situation linked to the war in Ukraine, France is showing solidarity with its German neighbour by supplying gas directly to it," a statement said.
Initially, 31 gigawatt-hours per day will flow across the border, with a maximum capacity of 100 gigawatt-hours per day.
Because the single pipeline between the two countries was originally intended only to deliver gas from Germany to France and not the other way around, modifications had to be made.
These changes were made in light of the sharp drop in Russian gas supplies to Europe and as part of European solidarity on energy security, the grid operator said.
France has traditionally been far less reliant than Germany on Russian energy. As Moscow throttled gas deliveries, Berlin began to look for supplies elsewhere.
As part of the deal, France is to receive electricity from Germany to get through the critical winter months.
Thirty of France's 56 nuclear power stations are out of action for maintenance, with many showing corrosion cracks in crucial components. This has caused serious problems in a country heavily reliant on nuclear-generated electricity.
Over the next few weeks, 40 power plants are expected to come back online, and by January that number should reach 46, President Emmanuel Macron said late Wednesday. Recently launched strikes by power plant workers could potentially thwart those plans, however.
