France's fuel supplies have been disrupted by more than three weeks of strikes against the government's pension overhaul, with production halted at three of its seven refineries, reduced at two, and two others undergoing maintenance.
Norsk Hydro will close its majority-owned primary aluminium facility in Slovakia by the end of September because of high electricity prices which show no signs of falling in the short term, the company said in a release on Wednesday.
Finland and the Baltic states will postpone summer maintenance on a major gas pipeline to help secure supplies following Russia's decision to cut off deliveries to Finland.
Russian gas flowed into Europe on Friday, while European gas prices continued to rise, as firms grappled with President Vladimir Putin's threat to cut off supplies unless they paid in roubles.
The French government said on Thursday that it had ordered state-owned utility EDF to sell more of its cheap nuclear power to smaller competitors in order to limit the increase of electricity prices in France.