Flows of Russian gas to France via Germany have been halted since June 15, French pipeline operator GRTgaz said on Friday.

The group said it had no information on the cause of the disruption but cited a broader context of reduced Russian deliveries.

“Since June 15, GRTgaz has noted a halt in the physical flow between France and Germany. This flow was around 60 gigawatt hours per day at the start of 2022, which is only 10 per cent of the capacity of the interconnection point,” GRTgaz said in statement.

It added that overall flows between the interconnection points in eastern France with Germany were down 60 per cent in the first five months of the year compared with 2021 levels.

Nuclear power champion France is less dependent on Russian gas for its energy needs than many of its European neighbours, and deliveries from Russia comprise roughly 20 per cent of its gas supplies.

GRTgaz warned that if next winter was exceptionally cold, gas consumption might have to be reduced, including by activating contracts with industrial groups that have agreed to cut their usage in extreme scenarios in exchange for a fee.

The pipeline operator said it saw no risks of gas shortages for this summer in France, and that stocks were being built up for the winter.