The Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline resumed operations as planned early Thursday morning, July 21, after being shut down for annual maintenance for 10 days, pipeline operator Nord Stream AG said. But its bandwidth is much lower than the maximum,
KYIV.UkraineGate . 21. July . 2022 | Economy .
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The president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, said on Twitter that the pipeline was operating at about 30% capacity and that this volume was guaranteed for two hours. However, Mueller said it is unusual for the supply rate to vary throughout the day.
A representative of Nord Stream AG told the German news agency dpa that the latest gas supply volumes were the same as before the maintenance period, corresponding to approximately 40% of the maximum supply capacity.
Europe is waiting for the resumption of gas supplies from Russia amid fears that Moscow will decide to keep the taps virtually closed, which could trigger an energy crisis. Germany has accused the Kremlin of using energy as a “weapon”.
“Moscow does not shy away from using grain and energy supplies as a weapon. We must defend ourselves decisively,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said earlier this week.
As of Wednesday, according to official estimates, gas reserves in Germany were about 65%.
Nord Stream 1 starts north of St. Petersburg in Russia and ends at a station near Greifswald on Germany’s northern coast in the Baltic Sea.
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Since Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24, and the West responded with sanctions against Moscow, Russia began to cut gas supplies to EU countries.
On July 20, the European Commission called on EU countries to reduce the demand for natural gas by 15% in the coming winter months.
Source: Ukrgate
