In response to German worries that Russia might not restore the flow of gas as scheduled, a significant gas pipeline from Russia to Germany was shutting down on Monday for yearly maintenance.
The operator of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports the majority of the Russian gas used in Germany, has scheduled routine maintenance, including ‘testing of mechanical elements and automated systems,’ to take place until July 21. According to the operator, the gas flow was gradually lowered beginning at 6 a.m., according to German news agency dpa.
German officials are suspicious about Russia’s intentions, particularly after Russia’s Gazprom last month reduced the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 by 60%. Gazprom cited technical problems involving a gas turbine powering a compressor station that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for maintenance and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions imposed over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Canada announced over the weekend that it would permit the item to be shipped to Germany, noting the ‘extremely severe difficulty’ that a lack of adequate gas supplies would cause for the German economy.
German legislators rejected Russia’s technical justification for the slowdown in gas flows through Nord Stream 1 last month, claiming the move was a political gamble to raise prices and sow doubt.
Robert Habeck, the vice chancellor of Germany, has stated that he believes Russia may refuse to restart gas shipments through the pipeline following maintenance because of ‘some tiny technical issue.’
Germany and the rest of Europe are frantically trying to lessen their reliance on imported Russian energy. The largest economy in Europe, Germany, imports around 35% of the gas it uses to power its industries and produce electricity from Russia.
Habeck activated the second stage of Germany’s three-stage emergency natural gas supply plan last month, warning that the continent’s largest economy was in ‘crisis’ and that storage goals for the winter were in jeopardy.
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