Gazprom: Nord Stream 1 supply to EU to be cut
further
By Jennifer
Meierhans
BBC News
Published
9 hours ago
Russian
energy giant Gazprom says it will once again drastically cut gas supplies to
the EU through its main pipeline due to maintenance work.
Gazprom
said stopping another turbine at the Nord Stream 1 pipeline would cut daily gas
production to 20%, halving the current level of supply.
The German
government said there was no technical reason to limit gas supply.
It is
likely to make it more difficult for EU countries to replenish their stores of
gas before winter.
The Nord
Stream 1 pipeline, which pumps gas from Russia to Germany, has been running
well below capacity for weeks, and was completely shut down for a 10-day
maintenance break earlier this month.
Russia
supplied the EU with 40% of its gas last year, and the EU has accused Russia of
using energy as a weapon.
The
European Commission has urged countries to cut gas use by 15% over the next
seven months after Russia warned it could curb or halt supplies altogether.
Under the
proposals, the voluntary target could 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 an attempt to sign off the plans.
But
numerous opt-outs are expected amid resistance from some member states.
Wholesale
gas prices have soared since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, with a
knock-on impact on consumer energy bills.
Reacting to
Gazprom's announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this was
"an overt gas war that Russia is waging against a united Europe - this is
exactly how it should be perceived".
Russian gas boss says 'our product, our rules'
Gazprom
said the latest reduction in supply would begin at 04:00 GMT on Wednesday due
to the "technical condition" of one of the last two operating
turbines.
But a
German economy ministry spokeswoman told AFP news agency: "According to
the information we have there is no technical reason for a reduction of
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 delayed return - because of sanctions - of equipment serviced in
Canada has forced it to keep the gas flow through Nord Stream 1 to just 40% of
capacity.
"Our
product, our rules. We don't play by rules we didn't create," Gazprom
chief executive Alexei Miller has said.
The
continued reduction in gas supply through Nord Stream 1 is likely to make it
more difficult for countries to replenish their stores before winter, when gas
usage is much higher.
Gazprom has
cut gas supplies altogether to Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and
Poland, over their refusal to comply with a Kremlin order to pay their bills in
roubles, instead of euros or dollars.
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