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Paris, 9 October 2007 - Gaz de France has signed a contract to acquire a 95% stake in ERELIA,
a developer and operator of wind farms in France. This operation should be finalised during the 4th quarter of 2007.

ERELIA has seen sustained growth since it was founded in 2003, and will have a capacity of nearly 70 MW in the North-East of France by the end of the year. Thanks to this acquisition, Gaz de France considerably strengthens its position on wind power generation and will have a total capacity of 110 MW by the end of 2007.

By 2012, Gaz de France wants renewable energy-based power plants to account for 20% of the Group's electrical capacity in Europe, focusing primarily on the development of onshore wind power.

ERELIA, which is planning to develop a further 300 MW in France over the next four years, confirms this commitment and comes on top of the rapid development of the other subsidiaries of Gaz de France, which aims to have 2,000 MW of wind power facilities in Europe by the end of 2012.

This acquisition is in line with Gaz de France's sustainable development policy, working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop the use of renewable energies in order to combat global warming.

As François Pélissier, Chairman of ERELIA, explains: “We are delighted that Gaz de France is backing ERELIA. Its support shows that the professionalism of our teams and the strength of our development have been recognised by a major energy group with a very strong focus on the development of renewable energies. Gaz de France will provide us with its industrial capabilities and significant support for the implementation of our projects, while ensuring the long-term viability of our business model, which is based on very strong regional partnerships”.

Jean-François Cirelli, Chairman and CEO of Gaz de France, adds that: "Gaz de France will be able to see a strong rate of growth in its installed capacity over the coming years. As of the end of 2009, we will be able to use our own facilities to generate around 10 TWh of electricity, representing the consumption for three million of our natural gas heating customers. This acquisition also represents a further step forwards with the implementation of Gaz de France's sustainable development policy. Indeed, our objective is to use renewables to produce 20% of our electricity by 2012 and to become a major player in the wind generation sector in Europe".

Press contacts:

Gaz de France Press Department
Sabine Wacquez
Tel: +33 1 47 54 24 35                                                                        
www.gazdefrance.com  

ERELIA Group
François Pelissier
Tel: +33 3 83 54 42 97
www.ereliagroupe.fr

ERELIA

Founded in 2003 in Nancy by François Pélissier, ERELIA is specialised in developing and operating wind farms in France. As a result of its success, ERELIA was chosen as an experienced operator to support the development of community wind farms in Quebec.

ERELIA's approach is based on a charter of commitments expressing the values of local and sustainable development. The systematic involvement of local players in consultations and financing for projects illustrates this philosophy.

Gaz de France

Gaz de France Group is a major energy player in Europe. As the leading natural gas distributor in Europe, Gaz de France employs over 50,000 staff and generated 28 billion euros in sales in 2006. The Group has a portfolio of around 14 million clients, some 11 million of which are in France. Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, Gaz de France is also part of the CAC 40 and Dow Jones Stoxx 600 indexes.

In line with its sustainable development policy, Gaz de France aims to have a significant focus on renewable energy in its power generation capacity in Europe. These diversified production resources mean that it is able to offer its customers a complete service, supplying energy and services and combining natural gas and electricity.

In France, Gaz de France's new commercial offers for residential customers meet a commitment to protecting the environment by offering electricity produced from renewables for 21% of customer consumption.

Gaz de France is one of the world's best performing businesses in terms of incorporating climate change issues into its strategy and reporting system. Gaz de France was included in the 68 companies making up the Climate Disclosure Leadership Index in September 2007, confirming the quality of the company's commitment to environmental matters. Gaz de France is ranking 12th and first among the French companies in this index.

As of July 2005, this commitment has been reflected in the implementation of an ambitious renewables development strategy. Indeed, the Group has been one of the pioneers in this field. Today, the expectations of customers, increasingly attentive to the environment, have enabled the Group to further strengthen its strategy. In this way, Gaz de France has set itself an objective to have renewable energy-based power production accounting for 20% of its total electrical capacity in Europe by 2012.

This strategy is based on:

• The development of solutions combining natural gas and renewable energies, notably solar power and wood, for heat production;
• The production of electricity based on renewable energies, focusing primarily on onshore wind generation, in addition to wood, biomass and solar. 

Solar

Today, Gaz de France has the strongest focus on thermal solar power among all French energy firms.

The Group has further strengthened its services for retail customers, offering them, in its Dolce Vita range, services combining natural gas and solar panels for domestic hot water production or heating.

In addition, the services branch of Gaz de France (Cofathec) has incorporated solar panel installation, operations and maintenance services into its range in France and Italy

This offering is also being developed in the photovoltaic solar sector in both France and Italy, where Cofathec has just brought 2,830 sq.m of solar panels into service for the Rome Region. This activity is expected to grow at a strong pace thanks to the public authorities' backing for this energy.

Wood and biomass

The wood-based boiler facilities managed by Cofathec represent a total capacity of 63 MW, with 27 MW in France and 36 MW in Italy.

The aim is to have a 10% market share in France by 2013 and significantly develop this activity in Italy and the UK.

The Group's business is focused primarily on local authorities and businesses. Cofathec is able to build, operate and maintain boilers for producing heat from wood. In this way, it aims to promote the emergence of solutions that combine the protection of the environment with local economic development.

Furthermore, to promote the development of the wood-biomass sector, Gaz de France has sealed a partnership with the French national forestry office (Office National des Forêts), as well as with the French forestry cooperation union (Union de la Coopération Forestière Française). The Group is also a founding member of the France Biomasse Energie association, which groups together players within this field.

Wind

In 2006, Gaz de France set itself an objective to develop wind power, with the creation of Maïa Eolis, its joint-venture subsidiary with the Lyon-based firm Maïa Sonnier. By the end of 2007, the Group will have 40 MW through Maïa Eolis, which aims to quadruple its production between now and the end of 2009, taking it up to 160 MW.

Other European developments also reflect the Group's commitment to wind power. In Earlsburn, Scotland, Gaz de France will as of this year be buying all the wind power produced by Falk Renewables, representing 35 MW.

The Group has chosen to focus first and foremost on onshore wind power, with very strong growth forecast. However, it has not ruled out the possibility of working with offshore wind power in the future.

In addition, its services branch is present on wind farm management and maintenance in France (30 MW) and the UK.

Following the decision to purchase the power produced by Earlsburn's wind farm in Scotland and the creation of Maïa Eolis, the acquisition of ERELIA represents a further step forwards with Gaz de France's development on wind power. The Group is among the five top players today in France.

Geothermal

Gaz de France has built up a significant position in the sector for geothermal heat networks, enabling it to complete its range of services available for local authorities in the renewable energies field.

In this way, Cofathec uses the earth's resources by drilling geothermal wells in order to supply heating networks in the Greater Paris Region (Blanc-Mesnil, Chelles, Ris Orangis, Meaux, etc.). These facilities cover 43% of heating requirements and supply some 26,000 homes.

The Group is also offering an installation, maintenance and operations service for the development of heat pumps for retail customers or clients responsible for managing collective residences or commercial properties.