© Getty Images / wolvRussia's Gazprom has slowed deliveries from the Nord Stream pipeline, citing technical issues caused by Western sanctions
"I have the impression that what happened yesterday is a political decision and not a decision that can be justified in technical terms," Habeck told reporters on Wednesday.
Comment: Well, that's his uninformed 'impression', what's the reality?
The Saint Petersburg energy giant said it would reduce the capacity of gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline by 67 million cubic meters per day to some 100 million cubic meters. The company explained it had to halt operations at one more Siemens pumping unit, blaming the technical issues on Western sanctions. Namely, the repaired gas pumping units for the North Stream pipeline cannot be returned from a factory in Canada due to the country's embargoes against Russia.
Comment: Germany rejected the approval of the Nord Stream II to appease the US, had it not done so these repairs, even with the sanctions, could have gone ahead and Germany would likely not even notice a difference in gas supplies.
"Due to the expiration of the time before overhaul (in accordance with the instructions of Rostekhnadzor and taking into account the technical condition of the unit), Gazprom is halting the operation of another Siemens gas pumping unit at the Portovaya compressor station," the company said.
Habeck, however, challenged this assessment, expressing doubts that switching off a single unit could actually affect some 40% of the flow. The minister also said the maintenance work on the pipeline that would have had a "relevant" effect on the flow was due to be carried out by Siemens only in the fall of this year.
Comment: Would Habeck prefer that Germany suffers a 40% drop in energy supplies in winter instead?
Habeck also claimed that the maintenance work isn't subject to sanctions on Russia, revealing that he personally consulted with the European Commission on this matter. Berlin is also in talks with Ottawa to determine whether the pumping units stuck in Canada are included in the sanctions or not, Habeck said.
The Nord Stream, running under the Baltic Sea, connects the Portovaya compressor station in Russia to its counterpart in Greifswald in northeastern Germany. The European market receives some 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year via the pipeline.
European gas prices spike as anti-Russia sanctions affect flow
Prices for natural gas in Europe surged on Wednesday after Russian energy giant Gazprom announced plans for further cuts to supply volumes via the Nord Stream pipeline.
Futures on the Netherlands-based TTF trading hub climbed over $1,300 per 1,000 cubic meters, marking a surge of nearly 25%.
Earlier this week, prices in the region spiked by nearly 11% after Gazprom said it was reducing gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline after German company Siemens failed to return gas pumping units to its compressor station on time.
Comment: It sounds like there could be some tit-for-tat on the Russian side here, but it's actually in Europe's interests to get this sorted out sooner rather than later; and perhaps reducing supply is one way of speeding things up.
Overall gas flows via the Nord Stream pipeline will decrease by roughly 60%, from 167 million cubic meters per day to just 67 million cubic meters, according to Gazprom.
The Saint Petersburg energy giant said it was forced to reduce gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline this week due to the parts shortage. Siemens announced on Wednesday that it was impossible to deliver the gas turbines to Gazprom after they'd been repaired in Canada, due to the sanctions imposed on Russia.
It added that the German and Canadian governments were aware of the problem, and that it was working on a viable solution.
Reader Comments
One wonders, who is really running he show in Canadia, in the theater of Canadian politics, and the international behind the scenes of dialogue.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Canada is out surfing!
All I can say is God Help Canada!
In reality the answer is quite simple, for Europe.
Tell the Americans to take their troops back to the US, make trade and security agreements with Russia and live together in co-operation.
They are our neighbours, they are not going to go awayโand "the West's" attempt to break their country up and plunder all its resources and wealth has utterly failed.
N-n-o-o..? Ya 'don't say...?
Poke the bear... too much whaddayaget..?
You comment that it has become shameful to be German. Germans are proud. Germans don't like to live without sufficient food, energy, fuel or a future as they did after the first world war.
If, as you say it is becoming shameful to be German, and then add to that the conditions Germans face this year are similar to those after world war one, the return of Adolph must be just around the corner.
Sovereignty for Germany, a new Constitution upholding the dignity of each human being. The abolishment of Hartz IV. Neutrality. Out of Nato. Abolishment of the Bundeswehr. Closure of all foreign military installations. And, and, and.
Who is ultimately responsible of the crimes of the people they elected?
An excellent question!
Who foisted the candidates upon the people? If politics in Germany works the same as it does in N.America then 'the people' don't get a say in which 'talking heads' appear on the ballot...but someone puts them there.
Who is that?
Who is not telling the DE/EU political 'elite' what to say, or do?
BTW: Nord Stream 2 stands there in perfect, brand new condition. Russia's Trump card.
1. Germany is in NATO.
2. NATO was pushing on Russia's doorsteps.
3. Russia said - stop please.
4. Troops were amassed to take over the Donbass and such...just only since last February
5. Russia said no - emphatically - took preventative measures so to speak.
6. Germany as part of NATO sanctioned the daylights out of anything seeming even an itty bitty Russian after that.
7. Now Germany is complaining because they ain't getting no gas?
~~~
Is that it?
Wonder what German citizens think about it all and really wonder what they will be thinking in the winter - I suspect they will be thinking we don't even know what Germany is anymore....maybe that was the plan, but if it was, rest assured - it is already backfiring you dimwits.
~~
BK, Poem of the Day, 61722 1243
As you noted, the German government that is currently steering the country does not represent the German people who are taking it up the dirt-chute because of their governments decisions.
Get out the popcorn, the show has only just begun