Compiled by: Sahar Yaghoubi
According to the German operator Gascade, gas flows through Nord Stream dropped on Wednesday to 20% of the pipeline’s capacity, increasing concerns about winter shortages across Europe.
On Wednesday morning, gas supplies from Russia to Germany were 14.4 GWh, down from an average of 29 GWh.
According to Ofgem, the UK’s energy regulator, 1 GWh is enough to provide electricity to one million households for one hour.
Gazprom, Russia’s energy behemoth, announced the substantial drop in shipments on Monday, in the midst of an energy standoff between Moscow and the West. This will make it more difficult and expensive for Europe to build up gas reserves before winter.
Gascade, the company responsible for managing Germany’s gas network, recently reported that the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, the primary conduit for transporting Russian gas to Europe, was operating at just 20% of its design capacity.
A spokeswoman for Gascade said that “Nord Stream 1 carries (…) 1.28 million cubic meters per hour,” which is equivalent to around 20% of the gas pipeline’s full capacity.
Gazprom has informed the Italian energy firm Eni that Wednesday’s gas supply would be capped at 27 million cubic meters, down from 34 million “in recent days.”
Fears that nations may fail to reach commitments to replenish storage and keep their populations warm throughout the winter months have been exacerbated by these declarations, and gas rationing might further damage Europe’s already shaky economic development.
Germany, which relies heavily on Russian gas, was receiving roughly 73 GWh per hour through Nord Stream before the Ukraine conflict.
About one-third of all Russian gas shipments to Europe are carried by Nord Stream 1.
Supply of gas in Russia dropped by 40% in June. During the 11th-21st of July, they halted entirely for routine yearly maintenance but have recently started up again.
Gazprom said on Monday that it will further reduce daily supplies through the undersea Nord Stream pipeline due to the necessity for turbine maintenance.
On Wednesday, a Kremlin official reiterated Russia’s accusation that the operation is being hampered by Western sanctions.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “The process of maintaining technological equipment is made tremendously difficult by the sanctions implemented by Europe,” adding that “Gazprom distributes as much [gas] as required and as much as feasible.”
Officials in Europe have questioned Moscow’s reasoning, saying that Russia is using energy as a political and economic weapon.
A German government official called Russia’s action a “power game,” adding that the decrease in gas shipments has “no technical explanation.”
The cost of gas in Europe has skyrocketed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contributing to a general rise in prices and a resulting crisis in the region.
On Tuesday, the European Union formally adopted a plan to do “all feasible” to cut gas usage by March 2023 in an effort to minimize winter shortages.
Its 27 member states have set a goal of cutting gas use by 15% relative to their 5-year average for the same time period.
Russia supplied almost 40% of the European Union’s gas needs up until last year.
