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Gazprom will not restart the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany that was supposed to go back online on Saturday after a three-day maintenance break, the Russian export monopoly said Friday.
It said oil leaks were found on parts of a pipeline compressor, and that the equipment has to be taken offline until it is repaired.
“Until the equipment malfunctions are corrected, gas transport to the Nord Stream gas pipeline is completely stopped,” Gazprom said.
The move is likely to be seen in European capitals as a fresh attack by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin who has weaponized the EU’s gas supply in retaliation for sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.
There have been growing doubts in Germany over Russia’s willingness to restart the undersea pipeline. Economists warned earlier this year that a total and permanent shut down of Nord Stream would deal a severe blow to Germany’s economy.
Recently, it has only been running at about 20 percent of its normal capacity, which Gazprom has blamed on maintenance issues. Berlin isn’t buying those explanations.
“What I do expect is that we cannot rely in any way on Russia, or on Gazprom,” Germany Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Thursday.
The pipeline was shut for routine maintenance on Wednesday, the second such shutdown this year.
The EU has been scrambling to lessen its dependence on Russian gas, which accounted for 40 percent of imports last year. With growing worries that Moscow will turn off the taps to exert political pressure on the EU for its support of Ukraine, the bloc is rushing to fill up its gas storages to ride out the winter. The EU is above 80 percent, and Germany’s storage is at 84 percent — well above predictions.
“We should not count on gas coming via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline over the winter,” Habeck said.
Source: Politico
