After a break: Germany again began to receive Russian gas via Nord Stream

On Thursday, July 21, Nord Stream AG, the operator of Nord Stream, again began pumping gas through the pipeline after a ten-day break.

This was reported in the press service of the organization.

“Nord Stream AG has successfully completed all planned works on both gas pipeline strings in accordance with the established deadlines.

The gas supply has been resumed," the statement said.

In the first hour after the launch, the line operated at only 30% of its total capacity.

However, after that, gas supplies reached the level before the closure of the pipeline - 40% of the maximum possible, TASS writes, citing data from Nord Stream AG.

Since July 11, the pumping of raw materials along both lines of the Nord Stream has been suspended for maintenance work.

We are talking about scheduled maintenance, including testing of mechanical components and automation systems.

Non-perpetual motion machine

Recall that Nord Stream gas comes directly from Russia to Germany - from the Portovaya compressor station in the Leningrad Region to the German city of Greifswald - from where it is then transported to other EU countries.

Both lines of the pipeline run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea and allow the pumping of 55 billion cubic meters.

m of fuel per year.

Eight gas pumping units (GCUs) of different capacities were installed at the Portovaya compressor station to supply raw materials via the pipeline.

This equipment is maintained by the German company Siemens.

In June 2022, the productivity of the Portovaya CS fell by almost 2.5 times, from the planned volume of 167 million cubic meters.

m per day up to 67 million cubic meters.

m. Thus, the pumping of gas from Russia to Germany through the Nord Stream has decreased to 40% of the total capacity of the pipeline.

Gazprom was forced to reduce the transportation of raw materials through the highway after Siemens did not return one of the gas turbine engines from repair.

At the same time, some of the gas pumping units expired and were stopped due to identified malfunctions.

As a result, in the second half of June, instead of eight GPUs, only two were operating at the Portovaya CS.

In many ways, the situation with the pumping of gas through the Nord Stream was complicated by the actions of the Canadian authorities, explained the head of Gazprom, Alexei Miller.

According to him, the German company Siemens has only one plant located in Canada for maintenance of GPUs.

Ottawa, in turn, did not return the already repaired equipment due to sanctions against Russia.

“This is not a sanction confusion, not someone’s absolutely purposeful decision ... The engine is at the factory (in Canada. -

).

The engine cannot be taken from the Siemens factory.

And other engines are suitable and have already come to the point when it is necessary to make major repairs.

And they can't be sent to Canada.

And they can’t be sent to any other plant either, ”Miller said.

• Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Board of PJSC Gazprom

• RIA News

• © Mikhail Klimentiev

In Germany, the reduction in gas supplies was initially considered politically motivated, and Gazprom's explanations were far-fetched.

However, later Berlin nevertheless turned to Ottawa with a request to bring equipment.

Although Ukraine opposed such a decision, the Canadian authorities eventually agreed to temporarily remove some of the restrictions on the Russian oil and gas industry and send the turbine.

It is curious that initially Canada's refusal to return the gas turbine engine from repair could be associated with the country's desire to increase the supply of its own energy resources to Europe.

This was announced on July 20 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I'll tell you why Canada did this - because it produces oil and gas itself and plans to develop the European market.

Here, this decision is based on no political issues and not even our special operation in the Donbass, but pragmatic motives associated with an attempt to enter the European market, because they plan to develop gas production at home.

That's all.

This competition is at every step,” Putin explained.

Documents for the car

At the moment, the turbine for Nord Stream is already on its way, as the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the day before.

According to her, the equipment will be delivered on time, so Russia has no reason not to supply gas.

At the same time, Gazprom has not yet received any official documents from Siemens that allow it to supply a gas turbine engine for the Portovaya compressor station under the restrictions of Canada and the EU.

According to Vladimir Putin, the lack of official papers that would confirm the lifting of sanctions and the reliability of the use of the turbine makes it impossible to operate the equipment.

"Gazprom" must receive not only the metal, not only the car, but also the documents for it, and legal documents, and technical documentation.

We must understand what Gazprom takes, in what condition the car arrived and what is its legal status: it is under sanctions, not under sanctions, what to do with it, tomorrow, maybe they will take it back.

But that's not all.

The fact is that at the end of July ... another car should be sent for repairs.

Where do we get refurbished ones?

It is completely incomprehensible,” Putin said.

Thus, according to the President, if the repaired turbine does not arrive with the documents, soon only one working gas compressor unit will remain at the Portovaya CS.

In this case, the supply of raw materials through the Nord Stream will be reduced to 30 million cubic meters.

m per day, the head of state stressed.

• RIA News

• © Alexey Maishev

Unconventional approach

According to Vladimir Putin, Gazprom intends, as before, to fully fulfill its obligations to customers.

At the same time, European partners are still trying to shift their own mistakes onto the company and Russia as a whole, although this has no basis, the president is sure.

As the Russian leader recalled, back in the first half of 2020, gas in Europe cost €100 per 1,000 cubic meters.

m, but a year later the quotes rose to €250, and today prices fluctuate around €1,700.

One of the reasons for such dynamics was the decision of Europe to abandon traditional energy and financial investments in the oil and gas industry, Putin said.

“They are great experts in the field of non-traditional relations, so in the field of energy they also decided to rely on non-traditional types of energy: the sun, wind energy.

The winter was long, there was no wind - that's all.

And investments in fixed capital in traditional energy disappeared due to earlier political decisions, ”Putin explained.

At the same time, sanctions against Russia only aggravated the situation, the head of state noted.

So, in addition to the current situation around the Nord Stream, restrictions from Poland led to a halt in the supply of raw materials through the Yamal-Europe pipeline.

At the same time, Ukraine announced the closure of one of the two gas routes running through its territory.

“The volume of gas in the European market has decreased and the overall price in the market has risen.

Who did win?

All Europeans only lost,” Putin summed up.

Winter plans

In Europe, meanwhile, they fear a complete cessation of gas supplies from the Russian Federation and are already preparing to spend the winter without Russian raw materials.

This, in particular, was stated by the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.

“In the face of the current energy crisis, which is exacerbated by difficult economic, geopolitical and climatic conditions, each of us - member countries (EU. -

), industrialists, citizens - must do everything possible to prepare for the coming winter as a sign of solidarity, " Breton urged.

• Gettyimages.ru

• © Matthias Kulka

In this regard, the European Commission proposes to reduce gas consumption in the EU by 15% from August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023, which is equivalent to 40 billion cubic meters.

m. In addition, the association countries are recommended to reduce the cost of heating and cooling, and as a temporary measure - to switch to the use of coal, oil and nuclear energy.

“The EU is preparing for the worst-case scenario.

According to our calculations, in the second quarter of 2022, gas supplies from Russia to Europe decreased by 46% compared to the same period in 2021, and in ten days of July - already by 64% in annual terms.

Also, from April to June, the supply of Russian gas to Finland, Poland and Bulgaria was stopped.

The European Commission allows this trend to continue in the coming months, ”Alexey Kokin, chief analyst at Otkritie Investments in the oil and gas sector, told RT.

A similar point of view was expressed by the chief analyst of the TeleTrade information and analytical center Alexei Fedorov.

In his opinion, the proposals of the EC are of a preventive nature, but in practice they may turn out to be ineffective.

“Such statements are designed to prepare citizens for the worst, so that in a pinch one could say something in the style of “we warned”.

And on the other hand, since practically nothing can be done in the event of a long-term interruption of Russian gas supplies, the EU authorities are creating at least some visible activity, otherwise they will have even more questions about the reasonableness of their energy policy,” Fedorov explained in an interview. with RT.

However, as Sergei Kaufman, an analyst at FG Finam, recalled, the Russian authorities are not yet considering a complete shutdown of Europe from gas as a baseline scenario.

According to the expert, the restoration of the volume of raw materials pumped through the Nord Stream is still possible if problems with the repair of turbines are resolved.

“Nevertheless, abnormally high gas prices are already one of the reasons for record high inflation in the EU.

Moreover, according to the calculations of the International Monetary Fund, if Europe is nevertheless disconnected from Russian gas, the EU may lose 0.4-2.8% of GDP, depending on the success of the work on saving and replacing raw materials from the Russian Federation, ”concluded Kaufman.