Russia resumes gas flows to Germany after Nord Stream maintenance

Russia resumes gas flows to Germany after Nord Stream maintenance

By Loveday Morris

Updated July 21, 2022 at 5:21 a.m. EDT|Published July 21, 2022 at 1:28 a.m. EDT

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

BEXBACH, Germany — Natural gas began flowing again through the main pipeline from Russia to Germany on Thursday, allaying European fears that a shut-off during scheduled maintenance would become permanent but not resolving broader concerns that Russia is holding the continent’s energy hostage.

Gas flows resumed through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline at 6 a.m., according to data provided by German operator Gascade, but at less than half its capacity. The gas had been turned off to accommodate 10 days of work on the pipeline under the Baltic Sea.

“We are in the process of resuming the gas transportation,” said a spokesman for Nord Stream who answered the company’s media hotline but declined to give a name, citing protocol.

It avoids — at least for now — what officials had described as a “nightmare scenario” for Europe’s largest economy, with impact throughout the continent and around the world.

But while the resumption provides some relief, European countries are still bracing for the worst. Fears remain high that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use gas as leverage against Western countries backing Kyiv as he continues his assault on Ukraine.

Despite a rush to diversify, Germany depends on Russia for about a third of its gas supply, and France does for about a fifth.

Russian state energy company Gazprom has significantly reduced supply to European Union countries in recent months, notably cutting the amount of gas flowing through the Nord Stream to 40 percent in June. It was unclear whether that had been reduced further on Thursday.

“Our dispatch is awaiting 40 percent, the level that was in place before the maintenance,” said Uta Kull, a spokeswoman for Gascade. However, Klaus Müller, head of Germany’s network regulator, said only 30 percent was expected, citing “nominations” on the pipeline, an indicator from the exporter on how much volume will be sent.

As it has reduced supplies, Gazprom has sought to invoke “force majeure” — a legal provision used to release a party from contractual commitments in the case of extreme events such as war, storms or fires.

With prices high and gas storage levels relatively low, the European Commission released on Wednesday a proposal for countries in the bloc to reduce their gas usage over the winter by 15 percent.

Germany, one of the most exposed countries because of its dependence on Russian energy, is already in the second phase of a gas crisis plan.

German consumers are being urged to save energy in any way they can, including taking cold showers and turning off lights. Hot water has been turned off in municipal buildings, and fountains lie still. Some residential landlords have said they might turn down the heat this winter.

The government’s hope is that it won’t have to take the final drastic step in its contingency planning: intervention in the market to deny gas supplies to certain industries.

“Russia is blackmailing us,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said as she unveiled Europe’s contingency plans on Wednesday. Whether it’s a partial gas cutoff or a major one, she added, “Europe needs to be ready.”

Germany has tried to eliminate any pretexts that Russia might use for shutting off supplies. Earlier this month, it urged Canada to skirt its own sanctions to return a turbine for the Nord Stream pipeline that had been stranded in Montreal, so Moscow could not cite it as an excuse for keeping the gas from flowing.

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By Loveday Morris

Loveday Morris is The Washington Post's Berlin bureau chief. She was previously based in Jerusalem, Baghdad and Beirut for The Post.  Twitter

The Washington Post 

July 21, 2022