It is reported that the Russian state-owned energy company, Gazprom, said the restrictions on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline will be in place for three days. Russia has already seen a significant reduction in gas exports through the pipeline.
It also denies accusations of using energy resources as a means of retaliation against Western states for imposition of sanctions against Ukraine. incursions of Ukraine.
Nord Stream 1 pipeline Nord Stream 1 pipe extends 1200 km (745 miles) beneath the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast close to St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany.
It was launched in 2011 and allows up to 170 million cubic meters of gas each daily in the direction of Russia towards Germany.
The pipeline was closed for 10 days in July, again to make repairs, as per Russia The pipeline has since been operating at a mere 20% capacity due to the issue that Russia claims is defective equipment.
European leaders worry that Russia might extend the shutdown as a means of driving up the cost of gas which have already increased by 400 percent.
The steep rise could result in an economic crisis in the winter months and could force governments to invest billions of dollars to reduce the burden. This week, French Energy Minister Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher, accused Russia that it was “using gas as a weapon of war”.
She spoke following Gazprom announced that it was discontinuing gas deliveries to French Energy company Engie. However, Russian Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson has denied the allegations and has claimed that Western sanctions are responsible for disruptions due to damage to Russian infrastructure.
He claimed it was “technological problems” caused by Western sanctions are the sole reason that has stopped Russia in distributing gas through the pipeline, but did not specify the nature of the issues.
The latest controversy has been about an engine that arrived in Germany after having been restored in Canada and that Russia was unable to return and claimed they were subjected to Western sanctions.
Germany However, it denies this.
In the last month, Minister of Economy Robert Habeck said the pipeline was operational and that there were no technical issues , as claims by Russia.
This month, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised to intervene in the energy market at the attendees of a conference in Slovenia that they’re “no longer fit for purpose”. “We need a new market model for electricity that really functions and brings us back into balance,” she stated.
The last week this week, the BBC reported it was revealed that Russia was burning around $10 million (PS8.4m) in gas per day at a facility near close to the Finnish border.