BERLIN (Washington Insider Magazine)- Early on Wednesday, Russia’s Gazprom stopped the supply of natural gas via a significant pipeline connecting Russia to Europe; the company had previously stated that the stoppage would last 3 days.
Mid-August saw the announcement by the state-owned Russian energy corporation that Nord Stream 1 will be shutting down due to maintenance at a compressor plant. German officials have questioned this justification. At the Portovaya station, which is located at the Russian end of the pipeline, Gazprom claims that maintenance is required on the lone operating turbine.
Midway through June, Gazprom began to reduce its supply through Nord Stream 1. Technical issues were raised, which the German government regarded as a political ruse. Nord Stream 1 has been operating at only 20% of its potential in recent weeks.
According to ABC NEWS, Russia, which before the cutbacks began supplied little over a third of Germany’s gas demand, has also cut off gas shipments to other European nations that have allied with Ukraine in the conflict.
Electricity is produced from natural gas, which is also used to power industries and heat homes and workplaces. Since Russia attacked Ukraine, the German government has made boosting the reserve a top priority in order to prevent rationing for industry when demand grows over the winter.
The government took action to tighten storage regulations in July. It increased the benchmarks for October and November from 80% and 90% to 85% and 95%, respectively, and included a requirement that storage be 75% full by September 1 – a goal that has already been attained.
Germany’s storage facilities were more than 83% filled as of Wednesday. Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, remarked that his administration had done well by moving swiftly when “not everyone was sure we might have a problem.”
Germany is among the nations calling for an immediate overhaul of the European power market to reduce the impact of skyrocketing gas prices on the cost of energy, even as it works to store gas and diversify its supply.
Kardi Simson, the energy commissioner for the European Union, declared on Wednesday that the 27-nation EU has already attained its objective of filling gas reserves to 80% of its capacity in time for the winter. November 1 was the intended date.
