The Rhone gas pipeline, a critical artery linking France’s Mediterranean ports to Germany and other European neighbors, will not return to full operational capacity until at least mid-2026.

Fréderic Martin, president of the French gas lobby FranceGaz, told reporters on Thursday, Jan. 29, that the reduced flow is a precautionary measure to prevent further mechanical failures ahead of the scheduled safety review in March

"The operator assembled its teams, secured the area, and restarted the flow, but not at the nominal power," Martin said. 

"You don't know if there's another constraint that could recur, so they will need to inspect the entire pipeline."

The pipeline, which suffered an outage in late September, is currently delivering natural gas below its nominal capacity. However, the timing of the outage is significant, as France has emerged as a vital hub for European energy security.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe has pivoted sharply away from Russian supplies, relying more heavily on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States and Qatar.

The supply disruption is expected to reduce total gas deliveries by approximately 43.5 terawatt hours over the winter season. 

That figure represents about 11 days of France’s total winter gas consumption during a period when demand for heating typically reaches its peak.

A comprehensive inspection of the infrastructure is slated to begin after the coldest months have passed. Following that review, the operator will determine if specific sections of the pipeline require a total replacement. 

Martin noted that a decision on a final timeline for a full restart will only be made after the inspection results are analyzed. "Provided no other issues are discovered during the investigation, the restart should happen around the middle of the year," Martin said.

The Rhone pipeline remains a centerpiece of the regional energy grid, facilitating the transit of gas from coastal terminals to industrial centers across Western Europe. 

For now, officials say the network is stable, but cautioned that full restoration depends entirely on the upcoming technical assessment.