Gas pipeline shutdown begins amid German suspicion in Russia

Berlin (AFP) – A major gas pipeline from Russia to Western Europe was shut down for annual maintenance on Monday as Germany prepared to give the green light to restart 10 coal-fired power plants amid concerns that Russia may not resume gas flows. scheduled.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany and is the main source of Russian gas. The onward gas is usually sent to other countries as well. He is scheduled to be out of business until July 21 for routine work which the operator says includes “testing of mechanical components and automation systems”. Operator data showed lower gas flow as planned on Monday morning.

However, German officials are skeptical about Russia’s intentions, especially after Russia’s Gazprom last month cut the flow of gas By Nord Stream 1 by 60%. Gazprom cited technical problems with a gas turbine powering a compressor station that partner Siemens Energy had sent to Canada for repair that could not be returned due to sanctions imposed over the Russian invasion of Ukraine..

Canada said at the weekend it would allow the part to be delivered to Germanyreferring to the “very great hardships” that the German economy will suffer without adequate supplies of gas.

German politicians rejected Russia’s technical explanation for last month’s cut in gas flows via Nord Stream 1, saying the decision was a political maneuver to sow uncertainty and drive energy prices.

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said he doubted Russia might cite “some small technical details” as a reason not to appeal Gas shipments through the pipeline after this month’s maintenance.

“No one can say exactly” whether the gas will be restarted, said the head of Germany’s grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur.

“We have very diverse signals from Russia,” Klaus Muller told ZDF television. “There are Kremlin spokesmen who say that in combination with the Siemens turbine, they can deliver more again; but there have also been very military messages from the Kremlin.”

On Sunday, Ukraine’s energy and foreign ministries said the return of Nord Stream 1’s turbines “adjusts the sanctions regime to suit Russia’s whims.”

Germany and the rest of Europe are rushing to fill their gas reserves in time for winter and reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has the largest economy in Europe, gets about 35% of its gas for the power and electricity generation industry from Russia.

Last month, Habek activated the second phase of Germany’s three-phase emergency plan As for natural gas supplies, he warned that Europe’s largest economy was facing a “crisis” and that winter storage targets were at risk.

The German government is preparing to approve a decree on Wednesday giving the green light for utility companies to launch 10 coal-fired and six petroleum-fueled idle power plants to make up for potential gas shortages. Another 11 coal-fired power plants scheduled to close in November will be allowed to continue operating.

Environmentalists have warned that burning coal and oil releases more carbon dioxide than gas-fired power plants, jeopardizing Germany’s climate goals. But the government argues that the short-term increase in emissions will be offset by new measures to speed up the installation of renewable energy.

There is concern in other countries, too, about the implications of recent Russian supply cuts via Nord Stream 1 and other routes.

French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said a complete halt to Russian gas supplies was a “reasonable possibility”. He said France would have to go into “battle mode” this summer to prepare for winter when “we have to make brave choices” amid a potential energy shortage.

“We won’t be able to keep our warmth and act as if nothing has changed,” Le Maire said. “We have to plan and organize now, we have to change our habits and reduce our (energy) consumption.”

Separately, Italian energy company Eni said Gazprom cut gas deliveries on Monday by about a third compared to the average in recent days. Eni said Gazprom would provide 21 million cubic meters of gas, compared to an average of about 32 million cubic metres.

Habeck signed an agreement on energy security with his Czech counterpart on Monday that ensures the landlocked country will benefit from new LNG terminals being built by Germany.

“Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is using energy as a weapon against us,” said Czech Industry and Trade Minister Josef Sekila. “He is trying to expose us to the risk of a complete shortage of gas and increase its prices, which leads to a deterioration in the standard of living.”

“Having EU allies on our side is our biggest advantage in this energy war,” Sekila said. “It is clear that cooperation with Germany, through which almost all gas flows to us, will be necessary for us.”

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Frank Jordan in Berlin, Barbara Sork in Nice, France, and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

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