Will Europe shiver this winter, deprived of Russian gas?
The logo of 'Gazprom Germania' is pictured at the company's headquarters in Berlin, April 6, 2022. Gazprom, Russia's state-controlled energy giant, says gas deliveries through a key pipeline to the Europe will drop by about 40% this year.
AP - Michael Sohn
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Concern is rising in several countries against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine.
And the information from kyiv is not reassuring: the transit of Russian gas via Ukraine fell in June to its historic low.
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According to the operator of Ukrainian gas pipelines, Gazprom only operates a seventh of the capacity of Ukrainian gas pipelines.
Its supply to Europe via the Sudzha entry point is capped at 42 million cubic meters per day, while the Russian giant can supply up to 109 million cubic meters under its transit contract with the Ukraine.
According to Serguiy Makogon, the boss of the gas transport operator OGTSOU, by acting in this way, the Russians are violating their own obligations to deliver 40 billion cubic meters per year via Ukraine.
As for the Sokhranivka entry point, located in the Luhansk region, Ukraine has lost control of it: nearly a third of transit to Europe passed through there before the war.
The concern is great in Germany, on the eve of the total shutdown from Monday July 11 of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline for maintenance work.
With this suspension, the stopping of the Yamal gas pipeline via Poland and the capping of transit via Ukraine, "
the Kremlin's objective is to create precisely this climate (of fear) in Europe before the heating season
", accuses Serguiï Makogon, “
to force, according to him, the civilized world to negotiate with a country which commits bloody crimes in the center of Europe
”.
The Turbine of Discord
The hot water in the shower, the temperature of the offices and why not the lighting of traffic lights... Germany is preparing for restrictions.
For the past few weeks, deliveries have already been reduced.
In this context, the fate of a turbine is disputed between Germany, Canada and Ukraine.
This turbine was the argument given by Gazprom when the Russian gas giant cut deliveries via Nord Stream 1 last month.
A drastic reduction to 40% of the usual flow.
The equipment had been sent to a Siemens site in Canada for maintenance.
Due to the sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the return of this coin has been delayed.
Moscow promises that if the turbine is returned, more gas can be supplied, but the Ukrainian community in Canada and kyiv are calling on Ottawa not to give in.
A source at Ukraine's Energy Ministry told Reuters that if necessary, kyiv would ask the Europeans to reassess their approach.
This same source wonders: “
if countries do not respect the sanctions they have taken, how can we speak of solidarity?
»
In the meantime, Berlin is worried about its gas supply.
The German government assures, this Friday, to have received a positive signal concerning the reshipment of the turbine without saying if it had been delivered or not.
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To read also:
Energy: Russian gas is scarce in European pipes
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