Russia cuts gas supplies to Germany – Doubts about justification are growing

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North Stream 1
Russia is delivering less gas to Germany – but doubts about justification are growing

Russia cuts gas supplies because of “repairs”. Does Vladimir Putin just want to drive up prices?

© Alexander Zemlianichenko / DPA

Thomas Krause

06/15/2022, 17:07

2 min reading time

Russia is reducing gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1, citing a gas turbine that is not being delivered from Canada due to sanctions. Not only Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck suspects another reason.

The Russian energy group Gazprom is once again reducing the maximum gas delivery volumes through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline to Germany. From Thursday morning only a maximum of 67 million cubic meters will be pumped through the pipeline every day, Gazprom announced on Wednesday. The Russian state-owned company once again justified this step with delays in repair work by Siemens. Therefore, another gas compression plant had to be shut down, it said.

Gazprom had already announced on Tuesday that it would reduce the maximum delivery volume to initially up to 100 million cubic meters of gas per day. This corresponds to around 60 percent of the previously planned daily volume of 167 million cubic meters of gas. A little later, the Federal Network Agency rejected Gazprom’s statements that delays in repairs to a gas compressor unit were the reason for the reduced gas delivery volumes.

Siemens Energy confirms maintenance of a gas turbine

on starA company spokeswoman answered a question about the first reduction in gas supplies: “In 2009 Siemens Energy supplied gas turbines for a compressor station of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline in Russia”. These gas turbines need regular maintenance and that can only be done in Montreal, Canada. “Due to the sanctions imposed by Canada, it is currently not possible for Siemens Energy to deliver reconditioned gas turbines to customers. Against this background, we informed the Canadian and German governments and are working on a viable solution,” it continues. Siemens Energy does not want to comment on the question of whether the missing turbine actually justifies a 40 percent reduction in gas delivery via Nord Stream 1.

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Delivery stop for Poland and Bulgaria: Six questions and answers on Russian gas


Does Germany still get natural gas from Russia and is the supply secured?

Does Germany still get natural gas from Russia and is the supply secured?

More Russian gas should flow to Germany via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The project is now on hold. Nevertheless, the gas continues to flow via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which transports natural gas from Russia directly to Germany through the Baltic Sea. While the share of Russian gas deliveries in Germany was 55 percent last year, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs it has now fallen to 35 percent. By the end of the year, it is to be reduced to around 30 percent, primarily through the purchase of liquefied natural gas, so-called LNG. By the summer of 2024, the federal government considers a further reduction in the share to 10 percent of consumption possible.
Is the gas supply secured in Germany?
Yes and no. It depends on what period of time you are looking at. “The security of supply in Germany is currently guaranteed,” says the Federal Network Agency. “The cessation of Russian gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria has so far had no impact on the security of supply in Germany.”
However, a report by the Ministry of Economic Affairs to the Bundestag on Wednesday speaks of an “acute danger that the situation will escalate further and that Russian gas suppliers will not fulfill their contractual obligations or will only do so to a limited extent”. This would be critical for the gas supply situation in Germany in the short to medium term. The background is Russia’s demand to process payments in rubles, which the G7 states oppose.

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Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) considers the announced reduction in gas supplies via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to be politically motivated. Habeck said on Wednesday in Berlin that he was of the opinion that the throttling announced on Tuesday was a “political decision”. The procedure was “not technically justifiable”.

Gas will be scarce in winter

The Federal Ministry of Economics responds star-Request only with a few sentences from a press release: “We are monitoring the situation and examining the facts. Security of supply is currently guaranteed.” However, a spokeswoman confirms that the Ministry of Commerce is in contact with the Canadian government.

According to Michael Keller, Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs, there is no risk of bottlenecks. Next winter, however, gas supplies could run out. The energy supply in Germany is currently secured, he told the television channels RTL/ntv. The gas storage facilities in Germany are currently more than 50 percent full. “That’s good, but not enough for next winter,” said Kellner.



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The storage of gas must therefore be promoted. He did not want to speculate about the reason for the current throttling of gas supplies from Russia through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1, said Kellner. Every summer there is “regular maintenance work” on the pipeline.

Nord Stream 1 gas main to Germany

For Germany, Nord Stream 1 is the main supply pipeline with Russian gas. In order to secure the supply of natural gas, the federal government is supporting a former Russian gas company with billions. According to information from government circles, Gazprom Germania, which is now controlled by Germany, is to receive nine to ten billion euros in aid from the state development bank KfW.

Sources:Press release Federal Ministry of EconomicsStatement from Siemens Energy.

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