- Jennifer Meierhans
- BBC News
5 hours
image source, Getty Images
Russian energy giant Gazprom has announced that it will drastically cut gas supplies to the European Union through its main gas pipeline due to maintenance work.
These works on the gas pipeline Nord Stream 1 they will reduce daily gas production by 20%, cutting the current level of supply in half.
The German government said there was no technical reason to limit gas supplies.
With this measure by Gazprom, it is likely that the EU countries find it more difficult to replenish their gas reserves before winter.
the pipeline Nord Stream 1which pumps gas from Russia to Germany, has been running well below capacity for weeks and was shut down entirely for a maintenance break. 10 days earlier this month.
Russia supplied the EU with 40% of its gas last year, and Brussels has accused Russia of using energy as a weapon.
The European Comission has urged countries to cut gas use by 15% over the next seven months, following Russia warned it might cut or stop supplies altogether.
Under the proposal, the voluntary target might become mandatory in an emergency.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the prospect of Russia cutting off all supplies to the EU is a “likely scenario”.
On Tuesday, energy ministers will meet in Brussels in a bid to approve the plans. But numerous opt-out options are expected amid resistance from some member states, such as Spain and Portugal.
skyrocketing prices
Wholesale gas prices have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, with a knock-on effect on consumers’ energy bills.
Reacting to Gazprom’s announcement, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was “an open gas war that Russia is waging once morest a united Europe – that’s exactly how it should be perceived.”
Gazprom said the latest reduction in supply will start at 04:00 GMT on Wednesday due to the “technical condition” of one of the last two operating turbines.
But a spokeswoman for the German Economy Ministry told the AFP news agency: “According to the information we have, there is no technical reason for a reduction in deliveries.”
The Kremlin maintains that it is a reliable energy partner and blames Western sanctions for the recent disruption of gas supplies to the EU.
Gazprom says the sanctions-delayed return of repaired equipment to Canada has forced it to keep gas flow through Nord Stream 1 at just 40% capacity.
“Our product, our rules. We don’t play by rules we don’t create,” Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said.
The continued reduction in gas supply through Nord Stream 1 is likely to make it difficult for countries to replenish their reserves before winter, when gas use is much higher.
Gazprom has completely cut off gas supplies to Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Poland, for their refusal to comply with a Kremlin order to pay their bills in rubles, rather than euros or dollars.
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