Jersey is generating power locally to help France

Jersey Electricity are generating power at La Collette power station

Jersey is reducing the electricity it receives from France in order to lessen the burden on the strike-hit country.

The island usually gets all its power through underwater cables from France.

The French are now having to import electricity because of several days of strikes in protest at plans to raise the pension age.

Chris Ambler, chief executive of Jersey Electricity, said it had offered to temporarily use the island's La Collette power station.

Mr Ambler said the firm had offered the French access to Jersey's gas turbines and diesel engines.

'Reduce costs'

He said this would "effectively reduce the level of importation from France and ease some of the pressure that they are under in France.

"In return we are able to make some margin, reduce some costs and also we continue to supply the island obviously very securely."

Mr Ambler told BBC Jersey that the French were still exporting power to the island, but that Jersey was topping up the power with local generation at La Collette.

He said: "There is no adverse impact on electricty supplies in Jersey and we are not expecting there to be any issues going forward.

"We are not expecting there to be and our contractual position is very secure, we are fully hedged and there will be no impact on prices."