“Now we have ready for a state of affairs of full cut-off of Russian fuel,” stated Emmanuel Macron at a press convention, however he calls on the French to alter their habits and advocates power sobriety. Not very reassuring !
Evidently the scenario is difficult for the European heads of state. After a gathering with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the French President held a press convention on the Élysée Palace on Monday 5 September to take inventory of the power disaster. The Russian fuel cuts, mixed with the failures of the French nuclear fleet (34 reactors out of 56 are shut down), are more likely to trigger a scarcity of electrical energy and subsequently a surge in costs.
Corporations at a standstill
Already, many corporations have needed to cease manufacturing and put some or all of their workers on layoff as a result of they’ll now not pay their electrical energy payments. Arcélor, the world’s second largest steelmaker, has shut down two of its blast furnaces in Germany and Spain. The LME metal mill in Trith-Saint-Léger, close to Valenciennes, is to cease its exercise on the finish of October for 2 months.
Ascometal, in Hagondange, Moselle, has requested its workers to conform to work throughout the hours when electrical energy is cheaper to keep away from short-time working.
One other firm in issue is the glass producer Duralex, which, regardless of rising gross sales, should put its exercise on maintain for 4 months and its 250 workers on short-time working.
Others will comply with. Eight out of ten small enterprise house owners say they worry for his or her enterprise.
Households impacted
Throughout his press convention, Emmanuel Macron needed to warn the French, calling on them to be “on the rendezvous of sobriety.” by altering their habits. How? “By turning down the air con and heating a bit of”. As a result of, he stated, “the answer is in our arms.”
Referring to the Russian-Ukrainian warfare, the president recalled that we have now gone, “in a couple of months, from 50% Russian fuel to 9% in our power combine.” And that it was crucial to arrange “for a state of affairs of full cut-off of Russian fuel”.
Among the many measures introduced by President Macron for better European solidarity, he talked about the trade of French fuel for German electrical energy, pending a serious reform of the wholesale electrical energy market in Europe. As well as, France could be in favor of grouped fuel purchases, as prompt by Ursula von der Leyen two days earlier.
Briefly, the winter is shaping as much as be fairly troublesome for corporations and households. Putin should be having a very good snicker!
