FIF calls to be consulted on any potential energy rationing measures
The French Railway Industry Association (FIF) responds to the government's calls for energy sobriety and requests consultation before any restrictive measures.
Summary
In response to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's call for an energy sobriety plan, the French Railway Industry Association (FIF) points out that its members have already optimised their energy consumption. FIF calls for consultation before any restrictive measures, in order to safeguard the rail sector's strategic needs.
Rail industry manufacturers point out that their production sites have already optimised their energy consumption and call to be consulted on any potential energy rationing measures. 1 September 2022 At the Medef summer conference this Monday, Elisabeth Borne called on every company to draw up its own energy "sobriety plan" from September onward, in order to cut consumption by 10 % by 2024. A first assessment stage will be held as early as the end of October. In the words of the Prime Minister, "we must prepare for the risk of a gas shortage this winter". Companies will therefore have to put sobriety plans in place from September onward. With this measure, the State wishes to avoid having to "impose consumption cuts" or "rationing". The French Railway Industry Association (FIF) has taken due note of this government announcement. In the current context of runaway inflation and energy scarcity, it is beyond dispute that measures must be taken to protect our sovereignty and security. FIF fully understands that households must be able to heat their homes this winter and does not question the relevance of the approach. However, rail industry manufacturers would like to alert Ms Elisabeth Borne to the issues facing their sector. The rail industry is recognised as a strategic sector for France. For a long time, players in the sector have already been committed to optimising and reducing their consumption. But electricity and gas are essential to rail production. A cut in the energy supply could have dramatic consequences for highly technological sites that may operate round the clock. It should be stressed that manufacturers are already extremely frugal, indeed sparing, following an understandable logic of cutting and rationalising operating costs. These rationing threats follow the exponential rise in energy costs, to which FIF member companies have already had to find responses (load-shedding contracts, development of renewable energy sources, etc.). Accordingly, before any final measures are taken, FIF and its members request to be consulted on their strategic energy needs, in a spirit of constructive collaboration, by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and Mr Roland Lescure, Minister for Industry, in the coming days.