After halving its supply to Germany, the head of Russia’s state-controlled gas company Gazprom remarked, “Our goods, our regulations.” According to Germany’s economy minister, Gazprom has been accused of aiming to raise energy prices by drastically cutting supplies.
However, Gazprom claimed that the delay was due to the return of equipment serviced in Canada by Siemens Energy of Germany.
Significant drops in Russian gas supplies have also been recorded in Italy and Austria. However, it was not planned, according to the Kremlin.
After reducing the amount of gas sent to Germany to under 70 million cubic meters per day – less than half the present pace – Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Russia will follow its own standards.
He claimed the equipment problem at the Portovaya compressor station, which is part of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline that transports Russian gas to Germany, had no remedy. Mr. Miller blamed sanctions for delaying equipment returns, which Germany condemned as “unfounded.”
In the meantime, due to the problems at Portovaya, Eni, the Italian energy giant, announced it would only receive 65 percent of the gas it sought from Gazprom on Thursday.
However, if Russia’s gas supply curbs persist in the next few days, Italy’s ecological transition minister said on Thursday that the government had prepared all conceivable countermeasures.
Gas flow through the Nordstream 1 pipeline to Germany has been reduced to 40% of its normal capacity, according to Gazprom, due to repair work.
Robert Habeck, the minister of the economy and climate change, is the last person on the list. It was a political decision, he explained. One taken, most likely, during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to Ukraine (Gazprom announced on Tuesday that it would decrease the delivery, then announced a further reduction on Wednesday).
The president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which is in charge of the country’s electrical infrastructure, called it a “warning sign.” According to Klaus Mueller, Russia is attempting to sow unrest and inflate gas prices.
According to the administration, the government has advised individuals and businesses to save energy, but there is currently no lack of supplies. There’s no need to be alarmed: it’s summer, after all, and the majority of publications are predicting a heat wave this weekend. Nonetheless, the organization warns that Germany will face difficulties if the lower gas supply continues. Before the winter, reservoirs must be replenished. Undeniably, the move has alarmed Berlin.
While it’s expected that Vladimir Putin won’t want to go without the money, Mr. Mueller added that the idea of Russia cutting off supplies couldn’t be ruled out.
A 2px grey presentation line Significant drops in Russian gas supply were recorded by European energy providers on Wednesday and Thursday, including ENI in Italy, OMV in Austria, and Uniper in Germany. ENI reported on Wednesday that Gazprom cut its gas supplies to Italy by roughly 15%. Like Germany, Italy relies on Russian gas for 40% of its imports.
After refusing a demand that “unfriendly countries” pay in Russian roubles, Russian natural gas exports to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands have already been halted.
Russia’s payment demand was interpreted as an attempt to strengthen the rouble following the imposition of Western sanctions. Demand for roubles is projected to rise as foreign exchange demand rises, pushing the currency’s value upward.
