On Monday, annual maintenance on Russia’s largest gas pipeline to Germany will begin with a 10-day gas shutdown, but governments, markets and companies fear the shutdown will be extended due to the war in Ukraine.
The Nord Stream 1 pipeline transports 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. The maintenance process will continue from July 11 to 21.
Last month, Russia cut gas flows to 40 percent of the pipeline’s total capacity, citing delays in returning equipment repaired by Germany’s Siemens Energy in Canada.
Canada said over the weekend it would return the repaired turbines, but said it would simultaneously expand sanctions against Russia’s energy sector.
Europe is concerned that Russia will extend planned maintenance to further cut European gas supplies, which would disrupt plans to stockpile gas for the winter and exacerbate the gas crisis, prompting emergency measures by governments, which also increases the bills significantly and painfully. For consumers
“The country must face the possibility that Russia will stop the flow of gas through Nord Stream 1 after a scheduled maintenance period,” said German Economy Minister Robert Haubeck.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Russia was using oil and gas to exert political pressure, saying “maintenance shutdowns are a regular, planned event and no one is inventing reforms.”
Source: Lebanon Debate
