Nord Stream 2 is ready for operation – despite the lack of a permit

Moscow, Berlin According to the Russian energy giant Gazprom, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which has not yet been certified, is ready for operation. The second line is now completely filled with technical gas, said CEO Alexej Miller on Wednesday in a video conference to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas could flow through the pipeline annually.

Putin congratulated Gazprom and its five European pipeline partners on completing the project, which is still controversial to this day. He said that the arrival of gas after the pipeline has been certified will have an immediate impact on the gas price on the European spot market and for European consumers: “This new pipeline will certainly help to stabilize prices in the European market,” said Putin Look at the high gas prices.

As soon as Germany opens operations, more gas will flow to Europe – and that will lower prices on the European spot market. “Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is ready for operation,” Miller reported in the video conference with Putin, which was also attended by the members of the government responsible for energy issues.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the Russian news agency RBK that it was impossible to bring down the Nord Stream 2 project because European consumers were interested and it was built in accordance with all legal requirements: ” But there was a lot of resistance. “

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However, Putin also pointed out that the German authorities still had to issue the operating license. He advertised it with falling gas prices. The pipeline was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019. But the construction was stopped due to the US sanctions, which see Nord Stream 2 as a threat to Europe’s energy security – also against participating German companies.

Dispute in the federal government

Germany spoke out against the US sanctions because Washington’s interference in Europe’s gas supply was unacceptable. The Federal Network Agency announced in mid-December that it would not make a decision until July 2022. Shortly before, on December 13th, the German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) had declared that it was impossible to approve Nord Stream 2 because it “does not comply with European regulations”.

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) referred to the purely commercial character of the controversial Baltic Sea tube. Gas deliveries for the Russian market would have priority, Putin said. “But Russia has the opportunity to increase its gas exports.”

Tubes of the pipeline

Russia expects the pipeline to be operated within the next six months.

(Photo: imago images / Jens Koehler)

According to Miller, gas storage facilities in Europe are 44 percent full, and in Germany 47 percent. Gazprom has not been pumping gas through the Russian-European Yamal pipeline via Poland to Western Europe for days.

Nord Stream 2 is supposed to bring gas from Russia to Germany bypassing Ukraine. The Baltic Sea pipeline was completed weeks ago, but is not yet operational.

Meanwhile, more natural gas is coming to Europe from the USA: 20 tankers with liquefied US natural gas (LNG) have been on their way to Europe since the Christmas holidays, reported the Bloomberg agency. Another 14 ships destined for Europe were waiting for orders. According to Bloomberg data, gas prices in Europe have fallen since further gas deliveries from the US were announced.

However, prices are still ten times higher than a year ago. Gazprom is not doing anything to increase its delivery volumes to Europe: No additional volumes have been booked for gas transit through the existing Ukrainian pipeline system for January, announced the network operator in Kiev.

The Nord Stream 2 project is controversial. The US government criticizes that Europe is making itself too dependent on Russia for its energy supply. In addition, by bypassing Ukraine, the country will be further destabilized by Russia, because it will be deprived of the previous transit fees in the billions.

Fear of invasion

Moscow has also gathered more than 100,000 Russian soldiers on the border with Ukraine. Western intelligence agencies fear an invasion and believe that Russia can advance easily once Russian gas supplies through Ukraine are stopped. On January 10th, Russian and American representatives are to negotiate in Geneva to defuse the explosive situation. Two days later, NATO and Russia meet.

On Wednesday evening it became known that US President Joe Biden and Putin were already on the phone on Thursday to discuss the situation. The topics included upcoming diplomatic events with Russia, said a representative of the National Security Council in Washington on Wednesday. Biden spoke to heads of state and government in Europe in advance. A spokesman for the Russian Presidential Office also confirmed a conversation planned for Thursday evening.

With material from dpa and Reuters.

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