[ad_1]
Gazprom has announced ahead of schedule the flow of gas through a major pipeline from Russia to Europe, a temporary move.
The Russian state-controlled energy giant said earlier this month that it would suspend gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Saturday, suspending routine maintenance at the Portovaya compressor station for three days.
According to Gazprom, the only remaining turbine at the Portovaya compressor station required maintenance.
Klaus Mueller, head of Germany’s federal cyber agency, said the maintenance was technically incomprehensible, and he saw it as a way to punish Germany for siding with Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Gazprom has repeatedly reduced gas flow through Nord Stream 1, citing technical problems such as equipment maintenance.
German officials called the cuts a political move to sow uncertainty and drive up prices during the war in Ukraine.
Russia has also reduced gas supplies to other European countries that sided with Ukraine in the war. The country recently accounted for about a third of Germany’s natural gas supplies.
The German government said last week that the drop in gas flows confirmed that Germany could not rely on Russian supplies, and announced it would increase gas storage requirements and take further steps to save supplies.
[ad_2]
Source link
