LNG

France’s Commission de Régulation de l'Energie (CRE) has given the go-ahead for a further increase in the cost of imported natural gas, leading to an immediate jump in regulated domestic sales tariffs as costs rise for utilities all over Europe.

Engie, the French power and energy company with LNG and gas network businesses and an international portfolio, posted a 20 percent drop in cash flow from operations, a good measure of profitability, to 4 billion euros ($4.4Bln) in the nine months to September from 5Bln euros ($5.5Bln) in the same period of 2018.

The French Atlantic Coast Montoir-de-Bretagne LNG import terminal said its call for capacity subscriptions currently ongoing will enter its final binding phase in October 2019.

GRTgaz, the French natural gas pipeline network operator whose subsidiary Elengy operates three LNG import terminals, has outlined its 10-year development plan, including expansion and upgrades at the Montoir-de-Bretagne facility on the West Coast and at the two terminals near Marseille, where capacity will be more than doubled.

The French Val de Saone pipeline allowing the supply of additional natural gas supplies from the North to the South of France will be fully operational by November and provide the final part in the creation of a single French gas trading market.

Fluxys Belgium, operator of the nation’s natural gas transmission network and the Zeebrugge LNG import terminal, and French network operator GRTgaz have launched the first virtual interconnection point in Northwest Europe to enhance natural gas trading opportunities.