According to the French energy regulator Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE), gas consumption in France could range between 165 and 320 TWh in 2050. Covering this gas consumption with green gas would require significant investments in gas networks (between €6bn and €9.7bn by 2050, i.e., €200-300m each year) but unit costs per TWh injected will progressively decrease and economies of scale will appear from 2040.
Even in the case of a large drop in gas consumption, the existing gas transmission network remains necessary and France will continue to remain a major gas transit hub for its neighbours. The degree of complementarity between the electricity system and the gas system remains uncertain by 2050 and will depend on the electricity mix and on heating mode choices. Hydrogen could take an increasing part in the French energy mix in the coming years and some gas infrastructures such as gas transport pipelines and salt storage sites could be converted to hydrogen over time.