PARIS (Reuters) -Dunkirk LNG terminal operator Fluxys on Wednesday declared force majeure at the site until the early hours of October 3, as delivery capacity is expected to be affected for two days by a national trade union strike in France.
The Dunkirk LNG terminal is the second largest in continental Europe and the only one directly connected to two separate markets, Belgium and France, supplying about 20% of both countries’ annual gas needs.
The delivery capacity at the Dunkirk LNG terminal will be reduced to 44 gigawatt hours on October 1 and 48 GWh on October 2, the operator said in a bulletin. The force majeure will be in place until 0359 GMT on October 3.
The national strike has affected delivery capacity at all four French LNG terminals, including the three operated by Elengy, which are under force majeure until October 2.
Union representatives have said they will continue their blockade until demands are met.
France is Europe’s fourth largest gas importer, with much of its supply sent on to neighbouring countries. Its exports have jumped since 2022 when Russian piped gas to the European Union was shut off following the invasion of Ukraine.
It is also Europe’s largest importer of Russian LNG, buying around 4 million tons in the first eight months of the year. A significant portion goes through Elengy’s Montoir terminal on the west coast.
(Reporting by Forrest Crellin; Editing by Jan Harvey)
