Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Russia to cut gas through Nord Stream 1 to 20% of capacity

Russia to cut gas through Nord Stream 1 to 20% of capacity

Russian energy giant Gazprom said Monday that it would further reduce natural gas flows through a major pipeline to Europe to 20% of capacity, citing equipment repairs. The move ramps up fears that Russia may cut off gas as political leverage over the war in Ukraine just as Europe tries to shore up storage for winter.
The Russian state-owned company tweeted that it would reduce “the daily throughput” of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to 33 million cubic meters as of Wednesday, saying it was shutting down a turbine for repairs. The head of Germany’s network regulator, Klaus Mueller, confirmed that the flow was expected to be cut in half.

Deliveries were at 40% of capacity after Nord Stream 1 reopened last week following 10 days of scheduled maintenance. The German government said it rejected the notion that technical reasons would lead to further gas reductions.

Russian President Vladimir “Putin is playing a perfidious game,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck told news agency dpa. “He is trying to weaken the great support for Ukraine and drive a wedge into our society. To do this, he stirs up uncertainty and drives up prices. We are countering this with unity and concentrated action.”

Natural gas is used to keep industry humming, generate electricity and heat homes in the winter, and concerns are rising about a possible recession if Europe does not save enough gas and rationing is required to get through the cold months. Energy prices have been soaring for months — spiking again after Gazprom’s announcement — fueling inflation that is squeezing people’s spending power.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Russia’s cuts in gas deliveries “a form of terror.”

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of “waging an overt gas war” against European countries, likening Gazprom’s latest steps to Russia’s blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports and its occupation of parts of his country’s south and east.

“All this is done by Russia deliberately to make it as difficult as possible for Europeans to prepare for winter,” Zelenskyy said. “They don’t care what will happen to the people, how they will suffer — from hunger due to the blocking of ports or from winter cold and poverty … Or from occupation.”

The new reduction should not be a surprise, said Simone Tagliapietra, an energy expert at Bruegel think tank in Brussels.

“Russia is playing a strategic game here. Fluctuating already low flows is better than a full cut-off, as it manipulates the market and optimizes geopolitical impact,” he said.

Russia has cut off or reduced natural gas to a dozen European Union countries. The goal is to use less gas now to build storage for winter, with the EU proposing member states voluntarily cut their use by 15% over the coming months. It’s also seeking the power to impose mandatory cuts across the 27-nation bloc if there’s a risk of a severe gas shortage or very high demand.

But Spain and Portugal said they will reject mandatory cuts, pointing to few energy connections with the rest of Europe and use of Russian gas that’s far below countries like Germany and Italy. Diplomats were scrambling to find a solution that ensured EU unity ahead of an emergency meeting Tuesday.

Gazprom’s new reduction “should increase pressure on EU energy ministers to deliver a sensible deal,” Tagliapietra said. “Action on this cannot be delayed any more.”

Russia recently has accounted for about a third of Germany’s gas supplies. The government said last week that the drop in gas flows confirmed that Germany can’t rely on Russian deliveries, announcing that it would step up its gas storage requirements and take further measures to conserve supplies.

Gazprom raised questions earlier Monday about the return of a second turbine that has been at the center of Nord Stream 1 tensions, saying it wasn’t satisfied with documents it has received.

Gazprom initially reduced the gas flow through the pipeline by 60% in mid-June, alleging technical problems involving the part that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn’t be returned because of sanctions.

Canada subsequently allowed the turbine for a compressor station at the pipeline’s Russian end to be delivered to Germany, which is where the German government said it was last week.

The Russian energy company asserted that issues regarding EU and British sanctions “remain unresolved for Gazprom,” though that was important for delivering the turbine “and performing urgent major repair of other turbine engines” for the same compressor station. Later, the company tweeted it was “shutting down one more gas turbine engine produced by Siemens” Energy.

Germany says all sides have been informed that the original part isn’t subject to EU sanctions. Siemens Energy said turbine maintenance is a routine measure, and over the past 10 years, there have been “no significant complications,” dpa reported.

The company said the transport of the turbine has been prepared and could start immediately and that it had told Gazprom it had all the necessary documents at the beginning of last week.

“What is missing, however, are required customs documents for import to Russia,” Siemens Energy said in a statement, adding that this information could only be provided by the customer.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
×