Russia’s state energy company had shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday for what it said was three days of maintenance. It said in a social media post on Friday night that it had identified “malfunctions” in a turbine and added that the pipeline will not operate unless they are eliminated. The move was the latest development in a saga in which Gazprom cited technical problems as the reason for the reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1 – explanations that German officials have dismissed as cover for a political power play following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European utilities are scrambling to find extra supply in the summer months to prepare for winter heating demands by buying expensive liquefied gas that comes by ship, while additional supplies have come via pipeline from Norway and Azerbaijan. WATCHES | EU governments have reached an agreement on gas rationing:
EU governments have reached an agreement on gas rationing
European Union countries have agreed to a proposal to voluntarily reduce natural gas consumption by 15% this winter. That deal comes after Gazprom, Russia’s state energy company, said it would further cut gas flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany. Fears of a winter shortage have eased somewhat as natural gas storage has advanced, but a complete shutdown could create severe difficulties in Europe, analysts say. The European Union must step up efforts to reduce gas consumption, energy policy expert Simone Tagliapietra said at the Bruegel think tank in Brussels. Continued cuts from Gazprom mean “a winter of zero Russian gas is the central scenario for Europe,” he said. “There is only one way to prepare for this: to reduce demand for natural gas and electricity.”
The company reports a problem with the turbines
Gazprom said it had detected oil leaks from four turbines at the Portovaya compressor station on the Russian end of the pipeline, including the only operational one. It claimed to have received warnings from Russia’s industrial safety authority that the leaks “do not allow safe, trouble-free operation of the gas turbine engine”. “In connection with this, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and suspend the further operation of the gas compressor unit in relation to the identified mixed [safety] violations,” the company said. Gazprom began cutting supplies through Nord Stream 1 in mid-June, blaming delays in the delivery of a turbine that had been sent to Canada for repairs. Canada has since allowed the turbine to be delivered to Germany, which has said nothing stands in the way of sending it to Russia other than Russia saying it wants the part. In recent weeks, Nord Stream 1 has been operating at only 20% capacity. After Gazprom’s announcement, Germany’s Siemens Energy, which built the turbines, said “such a finding is not a technical reason for the shutdown.” “Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site,” it said in a statement, adding that this “is a routine procedure during maintenance work” and this type of leak did not result in the operation being shut down at past. Siemens Energy said it is not currently commissioned for maintenance work, but is on standby. “Regardless, we have already pointed out several times that there are several additional turbines available at the Portovaya compressor station to operate Nord Stream 1,” he added.
“The unreliability of Russia”
Russia, which before the cuts began accounted for just over a third of Germany’s natural gas supplies, has also reduced the flow of natural gas to other European countries that sided with Ukraine in the war. Increasing the amount of natural gas held in stock has been a key goal of the German government since Russia invaded Ukraine to avoid rationing the industry as demand rises in winter. Germany’s storage facilities are now more than 84 percent full. A gas storage facility is pictured near Eiterfeld, Germany, on July 14. (Michael Probst/The Associated Press) The head of Germany’s grid regulator, Klaus Mueller, tweeted that Russia’s decision to keep Nord Stream 1 off for the time being increases the importance of new liquefied natural gas terminals that Germany plans to start operating this winter. , gas storage and “important gas saving needs. It’s “good that Germany is now better prepared, but now it’s up to everyone,” he said. Germany’s economy ministry said it was “aware” of Gazprom’s latest announcement and would not comment immediately, but said “we have already seen Russia’s unreliability in recent weeks” and continued efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on Russian supplies. energy imports. “Of course these are difficult times, but we will continue to consistently strengthen the provisions,” the ministry said in a statement. “Major efforts are still needed, but we are well on our way to addressing the situation.” The European Union just met its goal of filling its natural gas storage to 80 percent ahead of a Nov. 1 deadline, despite Russian supply cuts.
