As France’s main natural gas distribution system operator, GRDF distributes natural gas to more than 11 million customers every day for heating, cooking, mobility and industrial processes, regardless of their supplier. Performing a public service mission, we build, operate, and maintain the largest gas distribution network in Europe (200,715 km) safely, with the highest standards of quality. We are committed to promoting the use of renewable gas as a crucial part of the energy transition.

Who we are

We interact with players in the energy sector on a daily basis. First and foremost, we are in close contact with local and regional authorities, the owners of their networks. We also interact with natural gas suppliers who have signed a transmission contract with GRDF. 

We are in regular contact with other stakeholders in the energy world, from public organizations to energy opinion leaders, including professional federations and consumer associations. 

Our role as a distributor is to deliver gas to our customers, maintain and develop the natural gas distribution network with innovative solutions like the deployment of smart meters. 

Under the terms of our public service mission, we guarantee that gas is supplied under the best conditions of quality, safety, performance and cost, and we give all gas suppliers access to the network with complete impartiality. We are also committed to ensuring that the environmental footprint of our installations is as low as possible, whether by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere or promoting technologies that produce renewable, carbon-neutral gas for uses ranging from heating to mobility.

A word of history

Prior to the privatization of energy production and supply in France, gas distribution had been one of the services carried out by Gaz de France for the previous 60 years. 

Legislation that took effect in 2007 introduced a competitive marketplace to the supply of natural gas, giving consumers the freedom to choose their supplier, while transport, distribution and network management activities remained in the sphere of public service. 

Since its creation on December 31, 2007, GRDF has been responsible for operating the distribution system. It is a neutral, impartial and independent subsidiary of the ENGIE Group.

Our commitments to social responsibility 

As a company performing a public service mission, we have a highly developed social responsibility policy.

The key pillars of our policy, fully integrated in our day-to-day activities, are the security of the network that we manage, our topmost priority because human life is at stake; a substantial reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions (which will help guarantee the success of the French strategy enshrined in its Energy Transition legislation); and a commitment to reducing our environmental impact through the development of green gases (thanks in particular to the recovery of waste for such processes as anaerobic digestion and pyro-gasification) which will ensure that gas plays its part as an energy of the future in the ecological transition.