In 2010 is open the year crossRussiaFrance

In 2010 is open the year cross-Russia-France. Historical, journeyed links should on this occasion deepen even further, especially in a strategic economic sector: energy. The last March, on the occasion of 35eanniversaire of their industrial collaboration, GDF Suez and Gazprom signed, in the presence of Dmitri Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy, a memorandum of understanding for the delivery in the future of 1.5 billion metres of additional gas pipeline Nord Stream underwater natural gas pipeline that will connect, via the Baltic Sea, the Russia in Europe and whose construction began in April. The entry of GDF Suez in the shareholders Pact materialized July 1, 2010, in Zurich, Switzerland, seat of the company Nord Stream AG, 9 of the capital.

Natural gas is an energy that is available today to support the economic recovery. The gradual return of global growth will consume the surplus of the gas "bubble" and medium term prospects will require investments in infrastructure. The Nord Stream project, which also allows diversification of the gas roads, demonstrates the commitment to guarantee the security of gas supply in the long term for all the European Union, and the France particularly.

This project finally expresses our belief that the energy future of the world pass by natural gas, whether conventional or non conventional. Indeed, the development of renewable energies will hardly cover the whole of the growing needs of the population. The use of fossil fuels is therefore unavoidable and natural gas is, among these, the less carbon and therefore the emitting less CO2. In the heart of an energy mix that must be diversified to ensure the security of supply for all, gas energy is the most appropriate to reconcile economic pragmatism, energy innovation and environmental protection.

Easy to store, it can be easily combined with renewable energy. To control the most carbon dioxide emissions, the capture and storage of carbon emitted to produce electricity with gas, for example, may be operated with a more efficient than other fossil fuels. In addition, future technological innovations should help strengthen the improvement of yields and optimize further enhancement of the environmental qualities of gas. Natural gas is the energy of choice for the transition towards a less carbon economy and allow a use optimized resources for combating greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Finally, the natural gas resources are abundant, easily accessible, available and able to support the growing needs of our planet, as far as policy framework and regulatory light is fixed for the coming years. Indeed, the reserves of natural gas have substantially increased by the emergence of the so-called deposits "unconventional", which could a minimum double the level of existing reserves.

In the coming decades, the gas should therefore, naturally, continue to strengthen its capital position in the global energy mix. The international agency energy estimated at 22 the share of gas in the energy mix - a part which could move forward under the effect of a constant increase in demand. Over the past ten years, gas demand has thus experienced an annual increase of 2.5. And by 2030, its consumption is expected to double.

As the world's leading gas, continue to meet the needs in energy necessary for life is a pragmatic position which Gazprom and GDF Suez must answer, without however never deny their commitment to a sustainable growth of the global economy. And it is because it allows to respond to these challenges that gas is a solution for the future. The realization of the project Nord Stream by Gazprom and its partners is a strong positive signal, which ensures accessibility to this energy with a controlled environmental impact to future generations.