BERLIN
\nRussian energy giant Gazprom said that it can\u2019t resume the supply of natural gas through a key pipeline to Germany for now because of what it said was a need for urgent maintenance work, just hours before it was due to recommence deliveries.
\nGulf News reported the Russian state-run energy company had shut down the Nord Stream 1 pipeline on Wednesday for what it said would be three days of work.
\nIt said in a social media post Friday evening that it had identified \u2018malfunctions\u2019 of a turbine and added that the pipeline would not work unless those were eliminated. It was the latest development in a saga in which Gazprom has advanced technical problems as the reason for reducing gas flows through Nord Stream 1.
\nGazprom said it had identified oil leaks from four turbines at the Portovaya compressor station at the Russian end of the pipeline, including the sole operational one. It claimed to have received warnings from Russia\u2019s industrial safety watchdog that the leaks \u201cdo not allow for safe, trouble-free operation of the gas turbine engine.\u2019\u2019 \u201cIn connection with this, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and suspend further operation of the gas compressor unit in connection with the identified gross (safety) violations,\u2019\u2019 the company said.
\nGazprom started cutting supplies through Nord Stream 1 in mid-June, blaming delays to the delivery of a turbine that had been sent to Canada for repair. Canada has since allowed the turbine\u2019s delivery to Germany.
\nIn recent weeks, Nord Stream 1 has been running at only 20% of capacity. Natural gas is used to power industry, heat homes and offices, and generate electricity. Increasing the amount in reserve has been a key focus of the German government since Russia\u2019s attack on Ukraine, to avoid rationing for industry as demand rises in the winter.
\nGermany\u2019s storage facilities are now over 84% full. The head of Germany\u2019s network regulatory agency, Klaus Mueller, tweeted that the Russian decision to keep Nord Stream 1 switched off for now increases the significance of new liquefied natural gas terminals that Germany plans to start running this winter, gas storage and \u201csignificant needs to save\u2019\u2019 gas.
\nIt is \u201cgood that Germany is now better prepared, but now it comes down to everyone,\u2019\u2019 Mueller added.
\nThe European Union has just reached its goal of filling its gas storage to 80%, ahead of a Nov. 1 deadline, despite Russian supply cutbacks. European utilities have scrambled to find additional supply during the summer months to get ready for the winter\u2019s heating demands, buying expensive liquefied gas that comes by ship, while additional supplies have come by pipeline from Norway and Azerbaijan.
\nFears of winter shortage have eased somewhat as storage has progressed, but a complete cutoff could present Europe with serious difficulties, analysts say. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BERLIN Russian energy giant Gazprom said that it can\u2019t resume the supply of natural gas through a key pipeline to Germany for now because of what it said was a need for urgent maintenance work, just hours before it was due to recommence deliveries. Gulf News reported the Russian state-run energy company had shut down […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-281415","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n