Russian energy giant permanently pulls the plug on Europe
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The Russian energy giant Gazprom scrapped its Saturday deadline and indefinitely extended its gas cuts to Europe.
The state owned energy company cited urgent maintenance was behind its reasoning Friday and did not provide a date when it intends to reopen the Nord Stream 1 Pipeline, which distributes natural gas to Europe through Germany.
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the headquarters of Gazprom, in Moscow, June 27, 2014. (Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin / Reuters)
RUSSIA BURNS GAS AMID EUROPEAN SUPPLY SHORTAGES, ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER WARN OFFICIALS]
The announcement came just hours before Gazprom was supposed to reopen the gates after it had shut down gas supplies late last month for "routine maintenance."
In a social media post Gazprom claimed it had identified "malfunctions" in a turbine and claimed the pipeline would not work unless these issues were corrected.
But the Friday evening announcement is just the latest in a series of measures taken by the company since June that has reduced gas flow to Europe amid Russia’s highly contested war in Ukraine.
View of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station, June 21, 2022. (Stefan Sauer/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
THREAT OF ENERGY SHORTAGES MOUNT AS MOSCOW STOPS GAS SUPPLY TO EUROPE FOR 3 DAYS
Europe has accused Russia of using its gas supplies as a political tool as nations across the continent look to beef up their gas stockpiles and energy supplies ahead of the winter months.
Russia has blamed sweeping international sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine as a leading factor in its inability to effectively maintain the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.
In July Gazprom reportedly sent a 20-ton Siemens Energy turbine to Canada for repairs after it received a sanction waiver.
But the German company, which manufactures the turbines, suggested the move was politically motivated and said, "Such leaks do not normally affect the operation of a turbine and can be sealed on site. It is a routine procedure within the scope of maintenance work."
The Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline is now pumping oil again after it was shutdown for 10 days due to maintenance. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber / AP Newsroom)
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"We have already pointed out several times that there are sufficient other turbines available at the Portovaya compressor station for Nord Stream 1 to operate," Siemens Energy added in a statement Friday.
Officials have voiced increasing concern over what lower gas stockpiles and crippling inflation could mean for Europeans as they try to heat their homes this winter.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
