Shortly after the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline went back into operation, Russian state-owned Gazprom is once again cutting supplies to Germany from Wednesday. A total of only 33 million cubic meters of gas per day are to flow.
Source: NTV.de: / Russian gas company Gazprom is cutting supplies through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline. As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, 20 percent or 33 million cubic meters of gas a day will still flow through the most important supply pipeline to Germany, the company announced. The reason was the repair of another turbine.
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The German government reacted with incomprehension to the announced further reduction in supply volumes. “According to our information, there is no technical reason for a reduction in deliveries,” said a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of Economics. The Federal Network Agency expressed a similar view. “We have taken note of the announcement,” a spokeswoman for the agency said. The Federal Network Agency is closely monitoring the situation in close exchange with the Economics Ministry and the Gas Crisis Team, she added. “According to our information, there is no technical reason for a reduction in supplies,” she said.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin had already threatened last week that there could be a further curtailment of gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 around July 26. He had referred to turbines used by the Russian energy company. Accordingly, a curtailment is possible if a turbine repaired in Canada is not available again in time. Another turbine was to be sent for repairs around July 26.
Gas deliveries via what is currently the most important connection to Germany for Russian natural gas had only resumed on Thursday after ten days of routine maintenance. Gazprom had already cut deliveries via the pipeline to 40 percent of maximum capacity in June, citing the turbine that had been shipped to Canada for repairs. The German government considers this a pretext.
After Russia’s attack on Ukraine, the West had imposed sanctions on Russia. Moscow had in turn halted gas deliveries to European countries in whole or in part. The supply volume in the coming months is likely to have a major impact on the German economy, for example, but also on private customers, as it is likely to be reflected in gas prices. It is also likely to be decisive for the extent to which Germany can fill up its gas storage facilities before the cold season and whether there will be a shortage.
