Due to an oil leak in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that was detected during maintenance, Russian energy giant Gazprom has postponed a Saturday deadline to restore flows across a critical gas supply route to Europe.
The energy business had shut down the pipeline on Wednesday for what it claimed would be three days of maintenance, but announced on Friday night that it had discovered "malfunctions" with a turbine in a social media post.Until the equipment's operational flaws are fixed, gas transmission through the Nord Stream pipeline has been completely shut down, according to a statement from Gazprom. However, the company did not provide a new timeline for when flows will restart.
Due to Nord Stream 1's vital role in supplying Germany and other European countries with much-needed gasoline, the decision exacerbates Europe's struggles to secure enough fuel for the upcoming, bitterly cold winter.
Moscow has attributed the delay in pipeline repair to sanctions put in place by the West after Russia invaded Ukraine, but some representatives of the European Union have charged that Russia is using energy as a weapon.
The head of the German parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Michael Roth, tweeted that "this is a part of Russia's psychological assault against us."The leak that Gazprom claimed to have discovered normally wasn't a reason to stop the flow of gas, according to Siemens Energy, which routinely maintains Nord Stream 1 turbines, as its repair was part of routine maintenance.According to the business, "Such leaks may be plugged on site and typically do not impact the operation of a turbine." The incidence of this kind of leak hasn't caused a stoppage of operations in the past, either.
Siemens claimed it has "pointed out multiple times that there are sufficient other turbines available at the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to function," adding that it was not currently contracted to work on that particular maintenance issue.
Wholesale gas prices have increased 400% since August 2021, which has had a severe impact on European business and consumers. Demand increased once pandemic lockdowns were released, and then it became worse after Russia attacked Ukraine in February.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, has previously proposed placing a price cap on Russian pipeline gas to counteract what she called the "manipulations" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, has issued a warning that if the EU sets such a price restriction, Russia will stop supplying Europe.
European nations are frantically trying to fill storage tanks in preparation for the upcoming winter due to reduced Nord Stream deliveries and curtailed gas flows via Ukraine, another crucial route.
Many nations are considering implementing emergency measures that would compel organizations and individuals to limit and restrict their energy use. Major European businesses have already scaled back production as a result of rising energy costs, including fertilizer and aluminum producers."Better be ready"
Germany's network regulator responded to Gazprom's decision on Friday by saying that the nation was better equipped to handle a disruption in Russian supply, but it also cautioned that people and businesses would need to reduce use.
Klaus Mueller, head of the Bundesnetzagentur, said on Twitter that while Germany is now better prepared, it is now up to everyone.
The economy ministry spokeswoman agreed, saying in a statement that "security of supply is ensured" despite the "tight situation on the gas market."The spokesperson claimed Germany had "already experienced Russia's unreliability in the previous few weeks" but declined to comment on the "content" of Gazprom's announcement.
EU officials have been preparing for the possibility that Russia may completely halt deliveries after Gazprom reduced flows in June and then again in July.
On Wednesday, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said that Siemens Energy, a provider of pipeline equipment, was unable to do routine maintenance because of Western sanctions against Russia.
The lack of resources is not Gazprom's problem, the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Friday. "As a result, the system's overall reliability is in jeopardy."
[zombify_post]
0 Comments