Russia-to-Europe “unprecedented” leaks Pipelines Nord Stream


City of Warsaw, Poland The Danish prime minister stated on Tuesday that she “cannot rule out” sabotage following the discovery of three breaches on Russian natural gas pipelines that travel beneath the Baltic Sea to Europe. Premier Mette Frederiksen responded after difficulties were detected simultaneously with the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which were not delivering gas to Germany due to an energy standoff precipitated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but were still full with the fuel.

She spoke during the commissioning of a new pipeline designed to wean Poland and Europe off of Russian gas imports.

Officials stated that the leaks posed no threat to energy sources, and experts predicted that the leaks’ environmental impact would be minimal.
On Monday, Danish authorities revealed that a leak had been spotted in the never-before-used Nord Stream 2 pipeline. They were later told of a significant pressure reduction on Nord Stream 1, which was until recently Germany’s primary gas supply.

On July 21, 2022, in Lubmin, Germany, the landfall facility of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL gas pipeline, the Baltic Sea Pipeline Link, are visible. Markus Schreiber/AP

Tuesday, the Swedish Maritime Administration announced the discovery of two leaks in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs partially across Swedish seas. The Danish government has officially acknowledged the leaks, and the Russian operator of the pipelines has stated that sabotage cannot be ruled out, calling the incidents “unprecedented.”
The Danish Maritime Authority issued a navigational warning and established a restricted area in an effort to prevent ships from sailing near the leaks. The Danish authorities have warned that ships may lose buoyancy if they enter the area, and that there is a risk of fire above the sea and in the air. Swedish officials issued comparable warnings.
The pipeline leaks were discovered to the northeast and southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in late February, the pipelines have been at the heart of an energy battle between Europe and Russia. A reduction in Russian gas supply has led energy costs to skyrocket, inflicting misery for many across Europe, instilling anxiety of the next winter, and putting pressure on European governments to assist their population with their sky-high energy bills.

War and inflation in Russia lead major economies to reinstate price restrictions at 04:22

Europe-wide, countries have struggled to identify alternative gas supplies from varying beginning points. Poland, for instance, was well on its way to independence from Russian gas before the outbreak of conflict, having spent years securing alternative sources, including shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States and the Middle East. In contrast, Germany is only now straining to rapidly construct LNG terminals, but officials report that the country’s natural gas storage tanks are more than 90 percent filled and still filling, so there will be no shortages this winter.

The Baltic Pipe, a pipeline transporting Norwegian gas via Denmark and along the Baltic Sea to Poland, is an important energy security project. It is scheduled to be opened by Polish, Danish, and Norwegian officials on Tuesday in northern Poland.

Nord Stream 2 has never been operational, but Nord Stream 1 delivered gas to Germany until this month, when Russian energy giant Gazprom turned off the supply, citing the necessity for urgent repair work.

German officials have rejected Gazprom’s explanation of technical problems as a pretext for a political power play to increase prices and spread uncertainty.

On the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suspended the approval of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was already complete.