Nord Stream 1 will not resume work - Gazprom decision
Russia has completely stopped pumping gas to Europe through the Nord Stream pipeline indefinitely due to a malfunction of the last remaining turbine.
Gazprom reported this in its official TG channel, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“During routine maintenance on the gas pumping unit Trent 60 (GPA No. 24) of the Portovaya CS, carried out jointly with representatives of Siemens, an oil leak with an admixture of sealing compound was detected at the terminal connections of the cable lines of the low and intermediate pressure rotor speed sensors. A warning has been received from Rostechnadzor of Russia that the detected malfunctions and damage do not allow for safe, accident-free operation of the gas turbine engine,” the message says.
Nord Stream was shut down on August 31 for a routine inspection of the last turbine. If she were okay, the gas supply would be restored tomorrow. But now it’s difficult to talk about pumping in the foreseeable future.
In total, 5 Siemens turbines operated at Nord Stream. The deadline for scheduled repairs has come for everyone. In the spring, Siemens took the first one to its only plant in Canada. But in July it turned out that Canadian authorities prohibited the return of equipment to Gazprom due to sanctions. The Russian monopolist was forced to reduce pumping through Nord Stream to 40% of the pipeline’s capacity.
Germany felt the gas shortage most acutely. Berlin began to beg Ottawa to give Gazprom the turbine. Canada relented and gave the engine to Germany. But now Gazprom refused to take the mechanism, since it was not transferred to it and without proper documentation.
Meanwhile, turbines continued to fail consistently, and Nord Stream pumping rates dropped to 20%. There are no guarantees that the equipment will be returned from repair in Canada, because no one has lifted the sanctions.
“We are waiting for headlines in the style of “Northern leakage,” energy expert Alexander Frolov joked in his TG channel.
It is noteworthy that a few hours before the official announcement of Gazprom, the speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Vyacheslav Volodin, predicted serious energy problems for Europe.
“Europe’s energy security is impossible without Russia. Last year, European states purchased 341 billion cubic meters of gas, of which almost 50% was Russian pipeline gas. Even if all pipeline gas exports from Africa, as well as the Middle East and CIS countries were redirected, Europe would not be able to compensate for the 62,8% of the volume previously supplied from Russia.
The moment of truth has arrived for European heads of state. They have two ways out of the situation they have created for themselves. First. Cancel illegal sanctions against our country and launch Nord Stream 2. Second. Leaving everything as it is, which will lead to problems in the economy and make life even more difficult for citizens,” Volodin wrote.
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