Nord Stream 1 Resumes Gas Deliveries to Germany

Gas deliveries through the German-Russian pipeline Nord Stream 1 resumed on Thursday morning after 10 days of maintenance, the German news agency dpa reported.

RELATED:

EU Calls To Reduce Gas Consumption by 15% in the Region

Gas is flowing again and the gas transport level via Nord Stream 1 has resumed at the pre-maintenance level, around 40 percent of the pipeline's transport capacity, a spokesman for Nord Stream AG said, adding that the registered volumes could also change in the course of a day, and it would take some time before full transport capacity is reached.

Meanwhile, Klaus Mueller, chief of the federal network agency Bundesnetzagentur, said on Wednesday evening that 30 percent of the maximum transport capacity was to flow through the pipeline.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which went into operation in 2011, transports gas from Vyborg in Russia to Lubmin in northeastern Germany. From there, gas is further transported to other European countries such as Belgium, Denmark, France and the Netherlands. 

The share of the European Union (EU)'s gas supply provided by Russia dropped from over 40 percent in 2021 to 20 percent in June 2022, according to Brussels-based Bruegel think tank. Without any Russian gas, the EU would have to reduce demand by approximately 15 percent.

Last month, Russia curtailed the flow of gas through Nord Stream 1 to 40 percent of the pipeline's total capacity, citing the delayed return of a turbine being serviced by German company Siemens Energy in Canada.

Germany's government in June declared the second stage of the country's national gas emergency plan as a result of the reduced gas capacity. "The situation is serious," said Habeck, describing the cutback in gas supplies as an "economic attack."